Hon Karen Chhour
Minister for Children

Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has welcomed the passing of legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act by Parliament.

The Bill’s passing will enable Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children and its frontline staff to focus first and foremost on the safety and wellbeing of children when creating care arrangements, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour.

“This Bill will allow Oranga Tamariki to focus on its primary duty first, which is the care and protection of young people, making sure they are safe from harm.

While Section 7AA was well-intended, it also resulted in children being put second. As the responsible Minister I could not accept or excuse this fact.

We can no longer deny that section 7AA has led to confusion and conflict in a system that cannot afford to get such crucial care decisions wrong.

What happens now, what happens in practice to these young people, matters.

These children’s lives are not lived in theories or in the comfort of academia or privilege. The harm that comes their way is not academic, it is real,” says Ms Chhour.

Frontline staff and many select committee submitters have shared that section 7AA has led to decisions that were not in the best interests of the child in cases where the race of a child was prioritised over their safety and well-being.

“This created a conflict for Oranga Tamariki when making decisions in the best interests of the child or young person.

“This Bill does not stop the consideration of cultural wellbeing of children and young people in the care of Oranga Tamariki, nor will it result in the end of strategic partnerships between iwi and Māori organisations and Oranga Tamariki.

“I want to make clear that this Bill does not negate the importance of cultural connections for children and young people. What the Bill does is creates clarity in decision-making so that safety is indeed the paramount consideration for each and all children and young people.

I have no issue with looking to whānau, hapū, or iwi as a solution for placements, when appropriate, but safety must come first every single time and sadly that has not always been the case,” says Ms Chhour.

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