HUI ON THE ROYAL COMMISSION IN NEW ZEALAND
Leonie Sheedy, CEO of CLAN, and I were invited to participate in a hui (gathering or workshop) in Wellington, New Zealand on 14-15 February.
The purpose of the hui was to discuss the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care.
It is significant that the NZ government has put the ToR out in draft form to allow for consultation for a period of at least two months. By contrast the Australian government handed down its ToR for the recently completed Royal Commission as a fait accompli.
Moreover, whereas the Australian government selected its six Royal Commissioners in camera, the NZ government has appointed just one to date—Sir Anand Satyanand (former Governor-General and Ombudsman) as its Chair. The choice of other Commissioners (probably four more) is up for public discussion.
Sir Anan opened the proceedings and made a point of sitting and listening throughout the two days of the hui.
The Commission differs from the recently completed Australian Royal Commission in other important ways:
- It will examine all forms of child abuse—physical and emotional abuse, and neglect—not just sexual abuse
- It will focus on state care—including situations in which the state has delegated, licensed, or contracted out its decision-making authority or care functions to another individual, entity, or service provider
- It will work with an advisory panel of survivors
- It will give particular consideration to Maori and any groups where differential impact is evident, e.g. by gender, LGBTQI people, Pacific people and people who have experienced mental health issues.
The draft ToR put a time frame around the Commission of 1950 to the end of the century, but all participants bar none spoke against this (at both ends of the time span).
Other key topics at the hui included
- redress,
- apologies,
- the paucity of historical records, and
- ways of engaging with survivors to ensure their effective participation in the inquiry.
Further information can be found here but the Royal Commission itself will establish its own website and other communication methods.