Election 2023: Māori Party vows to take Māori children out of state care, replace Oranga Tamariki with Mokopuna Māori Authority

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (centre) and Rawiri Waititi (right) at their campaign launch in Henderson, Auckland. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Te Pāti Māori is vowing to end state care of Māori children, establishing an independent Mokopuna Māori Authority with over $1 billion of Oranga Tamariki’s current funding.

The party is unveiling its policy today, a revamp of what it campaigned on ahead of the 2020 election, saying despite changes since then - including partnering with several iwi and devolving resources - they had not gone far enough.

“State care has been used as a colonising tool to sever mokopuna Māori from their whakapapa and to undermine our culture and sovereignty” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“Generations of our kids have been abused and mistreated by the state, and report after report has shown the racism and abuse that lies at the heart of Oranga Tamariki.”

The policy would create a transition plan to end state care of mokopuna Māori including reforming vulnerable children and young people department Oranga Tamariki and making immediate changes to guarantee tamariki wellbeing.

It would establish within three years an independent Mokopuna Māori Authority “governed by Māori, for Māori, according to Māori”.

It would be funded with over $1b of Oranga Tamariki’s $1.5b funding and required to establish a partnership network across hapū, iwi and Māori organisations to ensure mokopuna Māori remain connected to their whakapapa.

Ngarewa-Packer said this funding distribution was based on the fact about 70 per cent of children in state care were Māori.

“Maoridom protested en masse for the protection of our foreshore and seabed and it’s time we do the same for the protection of our babies,” Ngarewa-Packer said.

“The Government continue to deny their contribution to the ongoing trauma of our whakapapa through their negligence, so we are taking our babies back.”

The policy launch comes as Oranga Tamariki comes under scrutiny over allegations of abuse within residences and youth justice facilities.

“Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Crown has no legal right to remove mokopuna from their whānau, hapū and iwi,” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

“How many more chances do we give a Crown agency which continues to breach Te Tiriti in removing our tamariki and mokopuna from their whānau? The answer? None.”

The Mokopuna Māori Authority would be responsible for ensuring children were cared for and remained in their whānau, hapū and iwi, said Waititi.

“And in the meantime, we will reform Oranga Tamariki, close down their care and protection residences, and end their worst practices, such as uplifting mokopuna without whānau, hapū, iwi consent,” said Waititi.

Minister for Children Kelvin Davis has made no secret of wanting to “transform” Oranga Tamariki. Under Labour, since 2017 there have multiple partnerships formed with iwi and hapū and priority given to keeping children and young people within their whakapapa.

As minister since 2020, Davis has overseen the number of children taken into care reduce substantially, however, the proportion who are Māori has remained at about 70 per cent.

On Te Pāti Māori’s plans, Davis said it appeared to be simply replacing one bureaucracy with another.

He said many of their suggestions were already in train.

“We are devolving resources and decision-making to Māori communities and that’s the way it should go

“I believe that our communities, iwi, hapū, Māori providers, know how to look after our tamariki. So to build another bureaucracy, I think is just missing the point.”

Oranga Tamariki currently has partnerships with Eastern Bay of Plenty Iwi Provider Alliance partnership, Māori Women’s Welfare League partnership, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi, Te Kahu Oranga Whānau, Tūhoe and Waikato-Tainui.