A law firm working with survivors of abuse in State care is concerned that the Government is trying to censor those who do not agree with it.

This week, Ministers of the current coalition Government: tried to prevent a journalist from entering Parliament for asking probing questions; questioned a lawyer’s professionalism for saying the Prime Minister’s apology to survivors was hollow; and told a law firm with nearly three decades of experience working with survivors that the Government was not going to listen to what it had to say in relation to redress.

On Wednesday, the day after the apology to survivors, Minister Shane Jones stood in Parliament and said that lawyer Sonja Cooper, who had worked as a lawyer and advocate for survivors of abuse in State care for nearly 30 years, and a lawyer for nearly 40 years, was boosting and inflating survivors’ expectations by critiquing the Prime Minister’s apology to survivors for not joining this with an announcement about redress.

“What this looks like to us is censorship of anyone who tries to disagree with this Government, which causes a chilling effect” says Cooper Legal Senior Associate, Lydia Oosterhoff.

“The measure of a strong democracy is the ability for people to speak out when they consider those in power are not acting in the best interests of the country” Ms Oosterhoff concluded.

“There were positive aspects to the Prime Minister’s speech, especially his reception of survivors and willingness to mix and mingle with us after the apology. However, for justice to be done, redress needs to be delivered” says survivor and advocate, Keith Wiffin.

“It is in the best interests of all New Zealanders for this country to implement a meaningful redress scheme for survivors of abuse in State care.

“We have to see redress as an investment in New Zealand’s future and an investment in the wellbeing of people who have been through, and continue to suffer, immense trauma.

“Sonja has worked with survivors for many years, and she knows how important a meaningful and fair redress scheme is for survivors. She has only ever sought fair and just outcomes for all survivors. She also knows that survivors desperately want certainty and to know how long it will be before New Zealand introduces an independent redress scheme.

“Survivors really wanted the Government to couple its apology with an announcement about how it intends to respond to the Royal Commission’s recommendations around redress. This did not happen.

“Naturally, survivors were disappointed by this, and Sonja commented on this by saying she considered an apology without commitment and a roadmap to change was hollow.

“As a lawyer and advocate, it is her job to voice the concerns of her clients. This should not make her the victim of vitriolic comments made by a Minister in the House. She definitely did not deserve this kind of treatment and the Minister responsible should be ashamed of himself.

“The Government should be embracing Sonja because of her vast knowledge and experience, not maligning or undermining her in terms of seeking solutions for all survivors” Mr Wiffin concluded.

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