The Government intends to outlaw the strip-searching of children and strengthen regulations to prevent people with overseas convictions from working with children as part of its response to the “heartbreaking” magnitude of abuse suffered by hundreds of thousands at the hands of the state.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and minister Erica Stanford, who is responsible for responding to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state care, today detailed proposed changes to four pieces of legislation that would:
STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG
STORY CONTINUES
Luxon made the announcement at a post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon.
A livestream can be found at the top of this article.
The proposed changes required amendments to the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, Children’s Act 2014, Crimes Act 1961, and Public Records Act 2005.
Luxon said that tomorrow, on behalf of the Government, he would be making an apology for state abuse. He said it would be a significant day.
The individuals should have been safe in institutions, but were in some cases tortured, Luxon said.
He expressed his “tremendous gratitude” to the survivors who have shared their stories as part of the Royal Commission of Inquiry.
Stanford, the lead co-ordination minister, said the stories of the survivors would be forever etched on the pages of New Zealand’s history.
Luxon and Stanford are expected to outline the Government’s proposed changes to current legislation aimed at making the state care system safer after the inquiry estimated 200,000 children, young people and adults were abused in care between 1950-2019.
As reported by Newsroom in October, among the 230 recommendations from the inquiry were calls to amend at least 10 laws as well as creating a new Care Safety Act and Care Safe Agency to regulate the state and faith-based care organisations.
Survivors of abuse have been vocal in their calls for a redress scheme to be established that could facilitate compensation.
Stanford, speaking at last week’s post-Cabinet press conference, sought to temper expectations by saying such a scheme was complicated to develop and told journalists a complete framework would not be announced alongside the apology.
Tomorrow at Parliament will be an emotional one as survivors and advocates gather to witness the apology from Luxon, as well as those made by public sector leaders.
Top officials from police, health, social development and Oranga Tamariki among others will be making their own apologies in the morning ahead of Luxon’s speech in the House. Labour leader Chris Hipkins was also expected to speak.
This afternoon, Luxon was also likely to be asked about Speaker Gerry Brownlee reversing his decision to bar an investigative journalist, Aaron Smale, from covering tomorrow’s apology
In a letter to press gallery chair Jason Walls this afternoon, Brownlee confirmed Smale, a Newsroom contributor, would be given temporary accreditation to cover the event.
Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy said earlier the only reason he was aware of for Smale’s initial rejection had been a claim about issues with his prior conduct.
Murphy said Smale accepted he had been “over-reactive” and “forceful and argumentative” in his questioning of Children’s Minister Karen Chhour at a boot-camp announcement in Palmerston North after he “took exception” to a comment.
Newsroom “didn’t accept that there was anything wrong” with Smale’s “direct” questioning at a separate Prime Minister’s press conference, despite a complaint from the Beehive.
The Herald has contacted the Prime Minister’s Office to ask if it or any ministers’ offices raised any concerns with the Speaker about Smale’s previous conduct.
Luxon is also likely to be asked about the nationwide hikoi that began today with the mission of highlighting the value of Te Tiriti o Waitangi amid the progression of the Act party’s Treaty Principles Bill, which many Māori groups have opposed.
The bill, which would have its first reading in the House on Thursday, had partially inspired the mass protest movement that had begun at both ends of the country today with an expected 40,000-50,000 protesters ending up in front of Parliament next week.
Luxon, who will be away in Peru attending the Apec leaders’ summit on Thursday, has repeated his opposition to the bill, reiterating National would not support it passed its first reading.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.