Special team to advise Govt on family violence

The Government is setting up a team of experts to give advice on family violence, Parliament was told yesterday.

Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia, under questioning about her comments on violence within Maori families, said the National Government had ignored the problem.

"I'm establishing an expert reference group to provide advice to Government on family violence issues," she said.

"This Coalition Government will refuse to sweep this very serious issue under the carpet."

Mrs Turia was questioned by National MP Bob Simcock about her earlier comment that the effect of colonisation had to be taken into account when violence within Maori families was considered.

She stood by that remark, saying: "The media make it blatantly apparent every day what the impact of colonisation has been on Maori. The Waitangi Tribunal has identified that Maori were plundered of their resources, which left them with little to sustain the cultural base of their society for the future."

Mrs Turia said that in the year 2000 New Zealand had yet to see a restoration of the political, cultural and social economic base which was "stripped away" from whanau, hapu and iwi in the 1800s.



Commissioner for Children Roger McClay said this week that Mrs Turia and Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia had forced him to edit Maori abuse statistics out of a report into the death of toddler James Whakaruru.

The ministers denied that and Mr McClay's office backed down, saying alterations made to the report after consultation had been positive.

- NZPA