Whanau First call for Urgent Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki

Former Hawke’s Bay woman Lou Hutchinson, who has this week been setting up action group Whanau First in response to a meeting she staged in Raglan on Sunday to challenge Oranga Tamariki child removal strategies, said she’s not surprised by disturbing claims being made on a Facebook video.

“Everything we have heard, and it’s distressing and overwhelming,” she said, “is that Oranga Tamariki is in disarray, and out of control.”

“Earlier in the week we called for an extension to the boundaries of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care, to include current and ongoing experiences. The Inquiry's terms of reference are set from 1 January 1950 to 31 December 1999, these dates are simply unacceptable. There needs to be an inquiry into Oranga Tamariki immediately to bring about urgent change and restore public confidence in how any Ministry for Children should operate.”

ENDS

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