Royal Commission on abuse

A governmental Historical Abuse in State Care Royal Commission is to be set up and it will be chaired by Sir Anand Satyanand, respected lawyer, judge and former ombudsman and governorgeneral. It is expected to take three years and will doubtless cost many taxpayer dollars. Public submissions on the issues are requested.

It is to be hoped that, at its conclusion, the preponderance of Ma¯ ori and Pacific Island children in state care is not blamed on colonisation and the solutions of the problems not be made entirely the Government’s responsibility. That Sir Anand’s comment, ‘‘Through truth comes joy,’’ will extend to full and frank investigation, and that the issues of parental responsibility and of differing ethnic and cultural practices be researched and reported accurately and completely.

Bryan Johnson, Omokoroa