Karen Chhour can cobble whatever words she likes, but the media are sure to stick to “boot camp”
The government’s official website today serves as much as a ministerial travel guide as a record of governmental decisions.
Three ministers have apprised us of their travel plans while another has told us what he has been up to in Japan –
- Judith Collins, Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology, will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.
- Simon Watts, Climate Change Minister, will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.
- Shane Jones, Oceans and Fisheries Minister, has journeyed to the Solomon Islands for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries.
More significantly for those with an interest in this country’s foreign affairs, he has delivered a speech at the International House of Japan, Tokyo, in which he outlined New Zealand’s strategic alignment with Japan and desire to do more together, particularly in the Pacific.
But much more attention is likely to be paid to the Government’s launch of its “Military Style Academy Pilot” in Palmerston North.
A military-style academy, eh?
This suggests Children’s Minister Karen Chhour wants to avoid talking of a “boot camp”.
There is no mention of “boot camp” in her press statement and a Newsroom report gives us an idea of why she wants to call it something else:
“I just want to be very clear, no one’s going to be standing over these young people screaming and yelling at them and pointing at them,” Chhour said.
“The whole point is to build these young people’s self esteem up. And things have changed over the years – what was acceptable 20 years ago is not acceptable now, we’re not going in with the attitude of ‘let’s break them and then make them’.
“People using the word boot camp brings those pictures to mind but the military-style academy will be nothing like that.”
The language she prefers can be found in her press statement here…
Latest from the Beehive
22 JULY 2024
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries.
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North.
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users.
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update.
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.
Speech
19 JULY 2024
Speech delivered at the International House of Japan, Tokyo. Outline of New Zealand’s strategic alignment with Japan and desire to do more together, particularly in the Pacific.
Palpably eschewing talk of “boot camps”, Karen Chhour said the “Military Style Academy Pilot” at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North is an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and get youth offenders “back on track”.
“On the 29th of July, 10 young people will begin their time on the Military Style Academy Pilot.
“The first three-months they will be at Te Au rere a te Tonga in Palmerston North where there will be a focus on:
- Structure and routine
- Addressing criminal behaviours
- Physical activities
- Education and vocational training
- Preparation for work and finding employment
- Specific rehabilitative, therapeutic and cultural components required for each young person.
Following the residential component, the nine-month stage of the programme will be focused on supporting the young person to transition back into the community.
Families will be engaged “where possible” for the full 12 months of the programme.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to youth offending. The Military Style Academy Pilot is just one tool we can use to support youth people to turn their lives around and get back on track.
“The key difference from what we’ve done before in these types of programmes is that most of the time will be spent focusing on transition back to the community, making sure these young people are well set up for the future including a pathway into education, training or employment and working with the families of the young people.”
Oranga Tamariki has worked closely with the New Zealand Defence Force, the Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police and other community groups to design the pilot, Chhour said.
“This pilot will help both address the offending behaviour of the young people and ensure they are held accountable, and face up to, their actions. This is an important part of our plan to address youth crime rates so that New Zealanders feel safe on our streets and in their communities.”
More information about the Military style Academy Pilot and the Young Serious Offender Declaration is here: https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/youth-justice/youth-justice-residences-2/
Our quick reading of the text found “boot camp” was not there, either.
But Chhour’s aversion to those words is not shared by news media.
RNZ reported her unveiling of a pilot project under the heading:
This was echoed on indiannewslink.co.nz
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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