The Prime Minister is defending the Government’s attitude towards survivors of abuse, as it emerges one of his ministers did not read a report into the abuse of a group of survivors he met.
The report, titled Stolen Lives, Marked Souls, was released publicly in August last year.
RNZ has learned Doocey, one of the ministers with responsibility for assessing the commission’s recommendations, was then sent the report personally in November.
However, at a meeting with survivors of the Catholic order in May this year, he admitted he had not read it.
Doocey, who is the Mental Health Minister and an Associate Health Minister, is yet to respond to RNZ’s request for comment.
When questioned yesterday about his minister’s failure to read the report before meeting with the abuse survivors, Luxon labelled it “an unfair question”.
“Our Government takes this abuse very, very seriously. It’s [the Royal Commission’s final report] been six years in the making – 3000 people have told their stories. We received the report, as I said, at the end of June and we are digesting that report and we will have more to say about it very shortly, but we take it very, very seriously.
“We did in opposition and we do continue in government. So, let’s be clear, we are going to have a lot more to say about it. What happened was utterly unacceptable.”
The Government “owe it to people to read that report properly, to understand and to be able to communicate effectively about what we’re going to do about it”, Luxon said.
Minister Matt Doocey (left) and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have yet to deliver an official response to an interim report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care. Photo / Dean Purcell
When pressed about whether he would have expected his minister to read the interim report before meeting with the survivors it detailed, considering the report was publicly available nine months before the meeting, Luxon said he did not know the circumstances of the matter.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard about it. So I’m happy to go back and look into it. But again, I just say to you, our Government takes this [Royal Commission] very, very seriously and we are going to have more to say about it.”
Luxon also committed to reading every word of the final report of the Royal Commission.
“It’s a big document, it’s about 4kg from memory. I want to read it personally myself from cover to cover.
“I think it’s important and we will have a proper response and a considered response and it deserves a considered response because ... 3000 people have told their stories over six years and it’s important that it’s respected and that we then properly deal with the issue.”
RNZ has learned Doocey met with the survivors for several hours but left some disappointed when he admitted he had not read the report into their abuse.
The commission’s final report will be tabled in Parliament on July 24.
A group of nine ministers, including Doocey, were working through recommendations related to an independent redress scheme for survivors.
