Labour warns Oranga Tamariki cuts will ‘decimate’ youth justice system

Children Minister Karen Chhour is leading the Government's approach to youth justice. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour is warning Oranga Tamariki’s proposed job cuts in its youth justice services will have dire consequences for the country and young people in need of help.

A leaked document outlining the proposed cuts, obtained by the Herald, shows Oranga Tamariki suggested it would disestablish roles, including the youth justice system development director, a services support manager, two senior advisors and a whānau care division director.

Several regional roles were proposed to be axed. In Auckland and Northland, the regional manager and regional operations specialist roles were gone under the proposal. The same two roles would be gone in the South Island youth justice division as well as the iwi/Māori engagement senior advisor. Several similar roles would also be gone from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty division.

General managers for youth justice residences and community homes would be disestablished. The residences would also lose the national operations manager, three principal advisors and a regional planning and development lead.

A smaller number of new roles were proposed, including a youth justice residential services manager, 12 roles concerning residences’ operations and prevention areas of work, and a youth justice lead advisor.

In May, Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani said he expected to make public the final changes to the youth justice division this week.

Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani. Photo / RNZ

However, an updated statement today said the decision document shared with staff last week wouldn’t be made public until August. Te Kani said it was “only fair to staff that I complete the voluntary redundancy process before we release it publicly”.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has heavily promoted his Government’s more strict approach to crime as studies show people are feeling less safe even though crime rates were steady.

Later this month, the Government will be piloting its boot camps for young recidivist offenders in Palmerston North. Experts have panned the Government’s 12-month boot camp proposal, citing the ineffectiveness of military-style camps to reduce re-offending.

Labour’s children spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime said the proposed cuts, driven by the Government’s aim to cut public spending, contradicted what Luxon and ministers claimed they wanted to achieve in youth justice.

“They want to be tough on crime, yet they’re making cuts to the youth justice space so I’m worried about the impact that that they will have on the young people who enter the youth justice system.

“It’s going to decimate youth justice and this is a crazy move given the known issues with youth.

Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime is concerned about the proposed cuts in youth justice. Photo / RNZ Angus Dreaver

The Government has consistently maintained job cuts in the public service would only apply to back office functions and not impact frontline services.

However, Prime couldn’t understand how the proposed cuts would not impact services.

A spokeswoman for Children Minister Karen Chhour said she was not available for comment.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.