Karen Chhour: Children's Minister says Tom Phillips' children are 'doing well under circumstances'

Oranga Tamariki says circumstances are unprecedented, as they care for fugitive Tom Phillips' three children.

The four-year manhunt for the Marokopa father ended in the early hours of yesterday, when he was shot dead by police in Waikato.

Children's Minister Karen Chhour says Tom Phillips' children are Oranga Tamariki's main focus - as they remain in the agency's care.

"As an organisation, Oranga Tamariki has been working on a plan since the day they disappeared. That plan may have to change, depending on the circumstances of the young people."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
After four years in the care of their father. Tom
Phillips's children are now in the care of ordering A
Tamaitiki udo on A Tamidike's Waikator Regional Commissioner Warwick Morte,
who gave an update on their situation today.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
I want to assure the community here in Waikattle and
also the White Republic of New Zealand, that my team
in this region have been planning and preparing for the
return of these Tomini key from when they went missing.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Karen Sure is the Children's Minister and with us right now.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Ha Karen Hey, thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Karen, thank you for joining us. How are the kids
are they? Are they doing things that you would expect
kids of their age to be doing.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Look, I'm not actually on site and haven't seen or
spoken to these children, but my understanding is that they're
doing well under the circumstances. We have staff that are
currently supporting them and making sure that they're getting everything
they need at this stage and making a plan of
what to do moving forward.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
How do you have any idea yet when it is
that they will be allowed to see their mother and
siblings and grandparents.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
So I'm going to be very careful because I'm constrained
by the amount of information I can share. But what
I would say is, the Family Court are actively managing
this case now, and we as an organization and as government,
will comply with whatever directions the Family Court give us.
But this will not stop us from making sure that
across the children's system that we put in places at

(01:28):
the supports that these kids need for as long as
they need.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Do you imagine that there will be a custody battle?
Is that a possibility?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
I mean, anything's a possibility. I can't control what people
will do in the future when it comes to custody disputes,
But what I would say is our focus needs to
be on the healing of these kids, their safety and
their well being, and making the right decision for the children,
not the organizations or the adults.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Will you impose the will you oppose the injunction and
in court on Thursday.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
Look, that's something that I can't really comment to. But
what I would say is, once I can share the information,
I'd be happy to come back and have another conversation.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Okay, Obviously the best thing for these children is that
we the rest of us in the public kind of
lose an interest in them and just allow them to
get on with growing up and healing up. How do
you write the chances that we can actually do that?

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Look, I mean we have to make sure that that
these young people are at the forefront of our minds.
We have been as an organization, Audungu Tamitiki has been
working on a plan since since the day they disappeared.
That plan may have to change depending on the circumstances
of the young people once we have a conversation and

(02:48):
assess what their needs are. But we are joined up
with all agencies across the children's system to make sure
that they're not forgotten and that they are given the
care that they need, and they're going to need a
lot of care.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, I'm going to talk to the huddle about this
in just a text or what you'll take on it.
Do you think that that documentary that the police are
facilitating should go to air?

Speaker 3 (03:12):
I'm unsure of what you're speaking to right now. In
my apologies, I don't know what documentary your speak.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
There is a documentary being made by Julia Christi which
has behind the scenes access of the search and has
presumably been filmed for some time now. The concern that
I have about it is the interest that we have
at the moment is fair enough. But for a documentary
to pop up in a couple of years, five years,
ten years and reach this all up again does not
feel to me to be the best thing in the
interests of the children.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, I wouldn't think so ever. I think when it
needs to be taken into account the mental well being
also of these young people, and this is going to
be an ongoing issue for them for many years to come,
and I would hope that anybody that's putting a documentary
of that coin out would take these children's views into consideration.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
Karen listen, Thanks very much, and we may talk to
you again in the near future. Careen's your Children's Minister.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
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Speaker 2 (04:10):
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