Moss resigns from Oranga Tamariki
Oranga Tamariki chief executive and Secretary for Children Grainne Moss has stepped down.
Sir Wira Gardiner has been appointed as acting chief executive in her place.
Moss said leading the ministry for over four years had been a privilege but ‘‘it is the right time’’ for her to leave.
‘‘I would like to acknowledge all those at Oranga Tamariki and our partner organisations who work tirelessly in some of the toughest environments.’’ Moss said in a statement. ‘‘I am proud of all that we have achieved over the last four years.’’
She previously faced criticism after a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into the agency’s removal of Ma¯ ori babies.
Minister in charge of Oranga Tamariki Kelvin Davis said leading the agency was one of the toughest roles in the public service ‘‘and I respect the decision she has made’’. Last year Davis publicly refused to express confidence in Moss. Davis said he did not have the power to ask her to resign. ‘‘And now I welcome Sir Wira Gardiner into the acting chief executive role and his record speaks for itself.
‘‘My focus is working with the leadership of Oranga Tamariki and fixing the system and implementing the Government’s work programme.’’
Gardiner would remain in the role for ‘‘as long as it takes’’, Davis said. Crucial to this was a partnership with Ma¯ ori ‘‘and we have an opportunity now to make that happen’’. Oranga Tamariki would be more regionally focused in future and would make sure it was working with Ma¯ori ‘‘in Ma¯ ori ways’’. Davis said he did not know any details about any potential golden handshake provisions in her employment agreement, or any employment concerns after fellow minister Peeni Henare suggested last year Moss would be replaced. ‘‘I have to reiterate my comments that Mr Henare’s comments were inappropriate for the time. It is really not appropriate for me to talk about the employment of the chief executives.’’
Gardiner has whakapapa links to Nga¯ ti Awa, Nga¯ ti Pikiao, Te Wha¯ nau-a¯ -Apanui and te Whakato¯ hea. He has been involved in significant iwi settlement negotiations.
He was the founding director of the Waitangi Tribunal and founding chief executive of Te Puni Kokiri, the Ministry of Maori Development.
Last year Moss fronted to media after appearing before the tribunal and was adamant she would stay in the role despite the controversy that still lingered around the removal of a baby from its mother in the Hawke’s Bay Hospital in 2019.
The Ma¯ ori Party has welcomed Moss’ departure.
Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the resignation ‘‘was the only right thing to do’’. If Davis did not ‘‘get some cojones’’ and implement major changes, he risked being seen as part of a leadership that normalised the forced removal of children without connecting them to safe wha¯ nau, she said. ‘‘The Government must now ... follow the advice of the Children’s Commissioner – begin the process to disband Oranga Tamariki and shift the powers and responsibility to an independent by Ma¯ ori, for Ma¯ ori agency.’’
Last November the Office of the Children’s Commissioner called for the state to loosen control of care for atrisk Ma¯ ori children – handing over ‘‘every aspect’’ of decision-making for removing children to Ma¯ ori.
It recommended the Government start by resourcing iwi, hapu¯ and Ma¯ ori organisations to figure out how the system would work.
Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft said the old model of Oranga Tamariki ‘‘can’t continue’’.
The Hastings case was not isolated, he said. ‘‘In fact the strength of reaction that developed from it shows that the issues regarding decision-making about Ma¯ ori by the state really had been simmering for decades ... it really was an explosion of long-standing and profound concern.’’
The issues that Oranga Tamariki faced in the past two years were not about leadership or personalities but was about structure, he said. ‘‘I do think her principled resignation is an opportunity for a reset.’’
Moss has accepted a role leading the Public Service Commission’s pay equity work.