Karen Chhour: Children's Minister on Oranga Tamariki being ordered to pay $108,000 over bid to remove Māori child from Pākehā foster parents

Oranga Tamariki is being ordered to pay more than $100,000 after trying to remove a Māori child from her Pākehā foster parents.

The agency didn't think they could meet her cultural needs.

Family Court Judge Peter Callinicos slammed Oranga Tamariki for putting ideology ahead of a child’s best interests.

Children's Minister Karen Chhour says the case highlights why she fought to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.

"This just shows what this means in practice - and it's absolutely devastating for everybody involved."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Auto Automatic.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Has been ordered to pay a foster family one hundred
and eight thousand dollars. Now, this is the case of Molwana,
where OT tried to remove the girl because she's Mardi
and the foster parents are pakiher. The money the order
of the costs covers the legal bills that the foster
family racked up trying to keep the girl in their care.
The judge who ordered this called Auto Atomiqi's behavior egregious.
Karen Chaw as the Minister for Children.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Hey, Karen, Hi, how's it going.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm very well think this is a disgrace. A this
case is a disgrace from start to finish, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yes, I absolutely agree, and this case really highlights why
I thought so hard to repeal section seven AA of
the Utung Automotici Act, because this just shows what that
meant in practice. It's absolutely devastating for everybody involved. And
I've made it very clear to Autong Automiticque that this

(00:53):
is unacceptable and it is not to happen again.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Do you think that people who gave you a hard
time in Parliament about wanting to repeal that seven AA
the treaty principle have no idea what happened to Muana
and her family because of it.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yes I do, and so this makes it very clear
to everybody what it meant in practice, and that one
hundred and eight thousand dollars is the cost of the
idealistic approach of the previous government, where this by Maori
for Maori approach and faro first at all costs actually
means in practice, it doesn't mean the safety and the

(01:31):
wellbeing of the young person. It doesn't mean prioritizing making
sure that that young person is loved and cared for.
It meant prioritizing kinship over every other consideration, and that's
just unacceptable. Safety and well being should come first. And
this is just another case that highlights.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
That Karen is anybody in ot going to lose their
job over this.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Look, the operational side I can't have control over. But
what I do have control over is changing the culture
with an auto automotic key. And an organization is only
as strong as their leadership, and leadership needs to set
that direction that we're no longer taking that approach, it
cannot happen, and that the safety and the well being

(02:17):
of young people is first and foremostka also treat our
keygivers with respect. That's the other issue. Our keygivers are
so important and they need to be valued. Auto Atomid
key would not function without these wonderful people that put
their hands up every day to give our young people

(02:37):
a safe environment. Because why I've set that as a
KPI for our chief executives.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
Could not agree with you more. Who is the CEOT now?

Speaker 3 (02:46):
So we have we have an acting chief Executive currently
whilst we're looking for atmody.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Have you talked to this person about whether they think
that this was the right use of time and resources
or is that something that you're going to deal with
once you got the new one in.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
So the new chief Executive will have the direction of
safety well being first, and I have had many conversations
with the acting Chief Executive around the direction of Audonga Tomadiki.
We're on the same page and we're making sure that
that message is loud and clear.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
All right, Karen, Thanks very much, Karen s your Minister
for Children.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
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