Child abuse ad debacle 'avoidable'

By REBECCA WALSH

The head of Women's Refuge says she warned an advertising agency against using Rangi Whakaruru in a television advertisement to fight child abuse weeks before it was pulled from the screen.

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said Television New Zealand asked her whether she believed the Children First Foundation advertising campaign was "on the right track."

She said she told advertising agency Navigator that Mr Whakaruru should not be used because of his family background.

Last month, Mr Whakaruru, one of the faces of the Children First Foundation television campaign, admitted that he had beaten his stepdaughter, Jamila Dlala, and her mother.

Mr Whakaruru is the great-uncle of James Whakaruru, who was beaten to death at the age of 4 by his stepfather, Ben Haerewa.

Mr Whakaruru had fronted the campaign with TV One newsreader Liz Gunn and former All Black Michael Jones.

The advert was dropped amid recriminations against Gunn after she questioned the motives of Ms Dlala for going public. Gunn later apologised.

But TVNZ spokesman Liam Jeory said he was not aware of anyone at his company seeking Ms Raukawa-Tait's advice.

Ms Raukawa-Tait said the network wanted her to look at the advertisement to see if it was compatible with the Women's Refuge family safe message.

She would not say who from TVNZ had approached her, but said she gave a warning against using Mr Whakaruru because someone with his family background was likely to be an abuser.

"A little child has died, you are a member of that family. Your job - if we are being quite truthful - was to be proactive before that child died, not coming in at the tail end, and saying, 'Oh, so sorry, our mokopuna has died'."

Ms Raukawa-Tait said that if people asked for advice they should listen to it.

"Television New Zealand asked for my advice. I gave it and it wasn't listened to ... Women's Refuge knows what we are talking about. That debacle was avoidable."

Mr Jeory said TVNZ did seek advice about the advertisement, but he would not say from whom.

He said he had not sought advice from Ms Raukawa-Tait.

"TVNZ only played ads that were provided for it by the Children's First Foundation.

"It did not make the ads, it did not write the ads, and wasn't even in a situation of having to approve the ads."

Greg Tabron, a director at Navigator, said his agency approached Ms Raukawa-Tait as a courtesy, but not for advice.

She had been generally supportive of the advertisement.

She did not say Mr Whakaruru should not be used, Mr Tabron said.

"She indicated she wanted a more political message about the issue of child abuse in Maoridom as opposed to child abuse full stop."

Mr Tabron said the agency did not believe that was appropriate.