Heather du Plessis-Allan: The most important thing is that things are actually fixed

Big old day for the survivors of abuse in state care today because the government through the Prime Minister finally apologised for this.

That is important.

I know you know what they want is redress as well, a whole bunch of them, and fair enough... that will come.

But, an apology also is very important. Especially when you consider how long it has officially not been a big deal that kids went through what they did while they were in the state of care - for it to now be acknowledged as, “yep, absolutely, actually a big deal” and for the state to admit it did wrong.

I think that's really important

Slightly unfortunately, the day has been overshadowed by anger directed at the Solicitor General.

I think this is going to be the thing that everybody remembers about today.

Una Jagose tried to apologise herself today as the solicitor general, she was booed by survivors. She was heckled by survivors. One woman walked out another, turned her back to the Solicitor General while she was talking in a move of protest.

The reason they're so angry is because they want to strip her from her job. They accuse her of covering up what really happened to them.

Now, I'm not going to tell these people that they're not entitled to feel angry because of course they are.

But, what we have to remember when we're discussing the Solicitor General's role in this and even in a lower role previously as a Crown lawyer before she became the Solicitor General, is that Crown lawyers, Crown law, the Solicitor General, they are the Government's lawyers, right?

They act in the best interests of the Crown.

And it's pretty much the same as David Bain's lawyer or even Brenton Tarrant's lawyer or should you or I be accused of something significant, our lawyers - that our lawyers are not there to look after everybody else. They are there to look after us. They're working in the best interests of their clients.

And the same is true of Crown law.

It's really important context when we feel angry at somebody like the Solicitor General or Crown law for what they did.

I understand why Una Jagose is copping it the worst today. It’s much easier to pin the blame on one person, isn't it? Than to pin the blame on a giant system like Government.

And especially when you consider that governments change every few years - one person is much easier to hold accountable than potentially thousands of people for little bits that they did over decades.

Maybe it will make a lot of people feel a lot better if she loses her job.

But remember this, it's not actually going to fix anything.

Not in the past.

And not for kids who are in state care in the future.

Beware the quick solution, because the quick solution may create a false sense that things have been fixed when they really haven't.

The most important thing is that things are actually fixed. Isn't it more important than anything she actually fronted up today?

And so did the Prime Minister and I say that's got to be a good start.

Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.