Davis won’t admit confidence in CEO

The minister in charge of Oranga Tamariki Kelvin Davis has refused to say he has confidence in the chief executive of the child welfare agency.

Asked directly if Grainne Moss had his confidence, Davis said he was ‘‘currently establishing a working relationship with Oranga Tamariki’s leadership’’ and they were just getting to know each other.

It comes as Davis signalled the agency faces changes under the new Government.

On Monday, Children’s Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft released a report calling for the agency to hand over power and resources for Ma¯ori to care for their own vulnerable children.

The report was the second released as part of a review triggered by the attempted removal of a Ma¯ori baby from its mother in Hastings hospital.

It called for a raft of immediate changes in Oranga Tamariki practice and legislation, including halting the removal of Ma¯ori babies from hospitals and maternity wards. Davis said he looked forward to a ‘‘constructive working relationship’’ with the agency.

‘‘And it’s my expectation that the ministry’s leadership will work hard to successfully implement the changes and new direction, when they come.’’

Moss, when made aware of the Minister’s comments and refusal to commit to voicing confidence, said she and the leadership team had met the Minister.

‘‘It was a constructive meeting, and we are looking forward to working with him in the future.’’

The Government itself has come under pressure from Becroft to commit to the changes now it no longer needs to deal with political partners. Becroft said the Government was now ‘‘shorn of its coalition conditions and restrictions’’.

‘‘This is the chance to make a fundamental change, and this Government has the opportunity that few will ever have in our current system.’’

Assistant Ma¯ori Commissioner for Children, Glenis PhilipBarbara, said ‘‘good New Zealanders are actually tired of the system failing Ma¯ori children’’.

This failure created ‘‘intergenerational chaos’’, she said. Ma¯ori people in the system said they needed more than ‘‘tinkering around the edges’’.

‘‘They really need the Government to step up’’, she said.

Davis said he supported the ‘‘overall direction’’ of the report’s recommendations. He said he would be meeting Ma¯ori, some of Oranga Tamariki’s ‘‘harshest critics’’ and officials.

Davis said the Government needed to engage with iwi, hapu¯ and Ma¯ori in general to find out their ideas on what a partnership looked like.

Before the release of the report, Moss said there had already been a 50 per cent drop in the number of Ma¯ori babies coming into care.

‘‘This is due to our commitment to working alongside Ma¯ori to support tamariki.’’

An Oranga Tamariki social worker said most New Zealanders had no idea what those on the agency’s ground floor were dealing with.

‘‘We’re not here to take children from their families, every social worker I know is trying to keep families together ... an uplift is a last resort for safety.’’