Fox vows to stay and fight bill

Three times two into one does go in this classroom

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said her party had a fundamental difference of opinion with National over a bill dealing with children in state care.

But she dismissed suggestions it could end the party’s relationship with National, which it supports on confidence and supply.

“Our first option is to fight for our tamariki and you don’t do that if you walk away,” she told reporters at Parliament.

She believes the new organisation that will deal with children in state care should have a more Maori focus in the way it operates because so many children in state care are Maori.

“If we are to believe the statistics that say 63 per cent of children in the care of Child Youth and Family are Maori and 71 per cent of young people in prison are Maori, is the Government prepared to continue to negotiate with the Maori Party to ensure that the rebuild of Oranga Tamariki is done with a kaupapa Maori perspective?” she asked Prime Minister Bill English in Parliament.

She also objects to a provision in the Children Young Persons and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Bill which removes an existing requirement to place a priority on placing Maori children within their own whanau, hapu or iwi.

She says it could set up a new “stolen generation” and Dame Tariana Turia has talked about marching on Parliament in protest against it.

The bill was discussed between ministers and the Iwi Chairs Forum at Waitangi this month.

Questioned by the Greens in Parliament yesterday, English said he would be concerned if anyone “as focused as Dame Tariana on the welfare of our children” felt that strongly.

He encouraged participation in the select committee process and to come up with proposals for changes.

“I think we do need to keep in mind — for those groups outside Parliament — that we do not want to let a philosophical discussion between adults get in the way of a better path for our children.”

Fox told reporters afterwards that it was important to get the bill right.

“We’ve already been assimilated and colonised once.”

Asked if she would walk from Government over the issue, she could not speak for the party. Her first option was to stay and fight. If you’re a pupil in the senior class at Whanganui’s Brunswick School this year, there’s a good chance you’re a twin.

Senior class teacher Sarah Lourie said that of her 28 pupils, six were twins — that’s three sets of twins in one class.

What’s even more unusual is that all three sets of twins are fraternal, or non-identical.

“We are very glad we don’t have three sets of identical twins in the one class — that would be too much,” Lourie said.

The twins have been at the school for a while, but this is the first time they have ended up in the same class.

Luke and Caleb Squire, and Sophie and Murphy Perkins, are in Year 8, while Paige and Tyler Guilford are in

We are very glad we don’t have three sets of identical twins in the one class. Sarah Lourie, teacher

Year 6. Sophie and Murphy also have a foster brother in the same class.

Lourie said all three sets of twins got on well. “They seem to have that bond that you expect from twins.”

She said Brunswick’s roll was about 80 pupils this year. “We have good numbers for the senior school, but we’d love a few more juniors.”

Lourie said the pupils were looking forward to school camp in Waikanae in April.