Bob Edlin: PM gets his kicks from youth crime trends while ducking questions about boot camp

Karen Chhour, Minister for Children, was untroubled yesterday handling Parliamentary questions on the “Military-Style Academy Pilot’, which most people prefer to call a “boot camp”.

On the other hand, the PM seemed to struggle with – or did he just duck them? – questions on the same issue.

Bob Edlin: A sorry state of affairs with child abuse stats.....

A sorry state of affairs with child abuse stats – Chhour spotlights a 14% improvement but shades the negative numbers

A 1 News report headed Minister admits comments on state care abuse stats may have misled public draws attention to a ministerial apology.

It was an apology about her use (or misuse) of figures for political effect.

Kerre Woodham: Finally some good news

Talkback isn't really the place for good news. Generally, it's a forum where we can vent our respective spleens, express our frustrations, have a good old moan, and yes, we do share stories and we exchange information, but mainly it's to bristle about things that we feel aren't going right and could be better.

Good news, we tend to think that, oh, good, yes, things are back on track. They've listened to what we have to say, and things are as they should be, and then you don't bother phoning in because you just think, well, that's as it should be.

David Farrar: Chhour vs Greens

ACT MP Karen Chhour released:

Responding to the Green Party’s “Open Letter to the Minister of Children”, ACT Children’s spokesperson Karen Chhour says:

Matua Kahurangi: Mariameno Kapa-Kingi wants to talk about Māori children

Just not the ones being murdered

In a recent video shared by the ACT Party, a revealing exchange unfolded between ACT MP Karen Chhour and Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. During a recent discussion, Kapa-Kingi insisted the focus remain solely on Māori children, stating, “You’re assuming that they’re the same as everyone else, and we’re not.”

Tui Vaeau: Obeying Tribal Law

How Race-Based Excuses, Institutional Infantilisation, Iwi-Centric Devolution Replaced Child Protection with Racial Sentimentality — Why the State Now Enforces Culture Over Law

Introduction:
A healthy civilisation does not apologise for enforcing order. It does not recoil when confronted by cultural dysfunction. It certainly does not cede its institutions to the cult of race. Yet in New Zealand, this is precisely what we are doing. The most recent performance by the Independent Children's Monitor - masquerading as a serious policy report - is not a document of insight but a ritual lamentation, choreographed to advance a radical narrative: that Māori failure is never the fault of Māori, but always the result of an oppressive system that must be dismantled, devolved, and ethnically reassigned.

Karen Chhour: Repeal of 7AA puts child wellbeing first

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.

Suze: Which Waka You In, Bro?

In the culture stakes, the Māori waka is streets ahead of anyone else.

Karen Chhour is frequently accused of not understanding Māori culture and last week it was more of the same when Chhour presented a bill introducing sentencing for a new category of criminals known as “young serious offenders” and opened the door for military bootcamps. Māori offenders are disproportionately represented in the youth justice system.

Dr Bryce Edwards: The Act Party’s highly influential year

The Act Party ends the year on 9.6% in an average of the last public polls, a moderate gain on its 2023 election result of 8.64% but still a strong result considering the poor track record of minor parties in MMP, and a testimony to the high profile enjoyed by its leader David Seymour and his Treaty Principles Bill.

JC: Ngāpuhi Need to Take Care of Their Own

This is far too an important matter to make it an issue of race. Race-based talk and insulting and violent rhetoric towards a minister or anyone else is not the answer.

Ngāpuhi, no doubt, expect the government, through the hard-working taxpayers, to assist them with their every need and grievance. What do we get in return? A vote of thanks? Nope. Perhaps a discussion on relevant topics of concern? Nope. Perhaps exploring a mutually agreeable way forward? Nope. How about taking the opportunity to see another point of view? Nope. The fact Ngāpuhi are not interested in any of this was glaringly evident recently when they walked out of a meeting with the prime minister and other relevant ministers.

Ele Ludemann: Racism is racism

Some Labour and Maori Party MPs have been making appalling personal attacks on Act MP Karen Chhour:

Kerre Woodham: Who is Te Pati Māori to decide who's Māori enough?

Bloody hell. If there is anyone who is entitled to go on a little light trauma induced shoplifting spree, it would be ACT MP Karen Chhour. For those who don't know her background, Karen grew up in the state care system. She was elected to parliament as an ACT Party MP in 2020 with the goal of reforming Oranga Tamariki, having seen rather more of it than most of us have. Before politics, she was self-employed in the New Zealand made clothing industry. She's a mother of four and she's lived on Auckland's North Shore for the past 30 years. So just the sort of person you'd like to see in Parliament: life experience, lived experience, a mum, firm stake in the future of the country for her children, self-employed, hard worker. Exactly the sort of person you'd like to see.

Chris Lynch: Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

The Government has today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te a Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North.

Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said on the 29th of July, 10 young people will begin their time on the Military Style Academy Pilot.

Ele Ludemann: Are Maori not New Zealanders?

A disturbing example of separatism was on display at Parliament on Wednesday:

. . . “They’re not New Zealanders. They are Māori children. And you just don’t get that,” Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi told Children’s Minister Karen Chhour, during a heated hearing at the social services and community select committee earlier in the day.

David Farrar: A traumatic story

Haimona Gray writes:

Too Maori for some, not Maori enough for others. I knew that old blind before I could read.

I was raised with eyes forced wide open. Like the protagonist, Alex, in A Clockwork Orange. Eyes unable to look away from the horrors of the world.

Chris Lynch: Karen Chhour responds to Te Pāti Māori’s “divisive outbursts”

ACT MP Karen Chhour has responded to the Maori Party’s “divisive outbursts.”

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi said yesterday, ‘It’s now time for us to step comfortably into our rangatiratanga and to not give too much to this Pakeha Government with their Pakeha Budget for their Pakeha economy.’

David Farrar: Te Pati Maori go personal

Newshub reports:

Applause and cheers erupted in the House on Wednesday afternoon as Children’s Minister Karen Chhour condemned Te Pāti Māori’s insults about her upbringing.

Chhour, who grew up in state care, is repealing section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act – sparking uproar from political opposition.

Simon O'Connor: Love, culture, and the Waitangi Tribunal

For the sake of New Zealand's vulnerable children, we need to do much better and it begins by ensuring loving, stable homes are prioritised over adults' political and cultural preferences.

For reasons I can’t fully explain, there was very muted reporting of the Court of Appeal overturning a previous High Court judgement which held that a Minister of the Crown does not have to attend a summons by the Waitangi Tribunal. The new ruling says that the Minister, in this case Karen Chhour, needs to attend.

Gary Judd KC: Sequal to Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour

Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour

In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be questioned.

There are three branches of government – the Executive (effectively Cabinet and the government departments or ministries), the Legislative (Parliament), and the Judicial (the courts). The doctrine of comity requires each of those branches to treat the others with respect.

Karen Chhour: Government puts children first by repealing 7AA

Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament.

The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour.

“While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga Tamariki when making decisions in the best interests of the child or young person.