Online exclusive
Remember the old health camps for under-nourished and sickly kids from the tough end of town? They began in 1919, and if this government has its way, they will soon be closed for good.
But to these days call them health camps is misleading. They have morphed into a much wider and more sophisticated service run by contracted agency, Stand Tū Māia, where some 300 staff – counsellors, therapists and carers - wear their hearts on their sleeves.
When you hear that young offenders have been referred to Oranga Tamariki, it means they’re placed with Stand Tū Māia. Many of these kids are young, really young, just 8 and 9 years of age. They’re the ones you hear about taking part in a ram raid or robbery.
They’ve seen and been part of things like violence, drugs and crime that no one their age should be aware of let alone witness. Their home lives are often devoid of the basics; they keep bad company and positive role models aren’t around. Many haven’t been in school for years. They lack the basic routines and structures needed in life.
Stand Tū Māia has a well-established legacy in keeping these kids away from a more fraught path ahead and getting them back into school. The service is vital for 4000 of our most vulnerable children and is often the last stop before what’s called statutory care, as in, eventually, the corrections system.
Often Stand Tū Māia is the first place that teaches them what’s wrong, and what they need to do to turn things around. It shows them what is achievable and possible, and what being loved and cared about truly looks like.
So when the National-led government promised frontline services wouldn’t be cut as it went after savings in the public service, what did it think Stand Tū Māia did?
If ever you could call anything a frontline service, this is it. I’d say it’s the very definition of frontline services. Without this service, these young kids would likely get into more and more serious trouble and stay outside the education system.
But late last month, due to government financial constraints, Stand Tū Māia was shocked to learn the service would end on January 4.
I start my final column of 2024 with this because it’s indicative of the state of our country, and a government that seems to be bleeding money – and blaming everyone else for it – but devoid of ideas about how to fix it other than cut, cut and cut again.
It’s led to ministerial demands across a range of government departments to cut staff and programmes to save money (as I’ve repeatedly written about this year).
The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) update earlier this week showed things are worse for the economy than predicted and once again, Treasury has overestimated growth and revenue. The tax take is estimated to be down $13 billion over a four-year period; a figure that happens to be close to the cost of National’s tax cuts over four years. Never mind, nothing to see here…
So having already got rid of “back office” expenses, departments are turning to what’s left - frontline services like Stand Tū Māia.
Embarrassed by the publicity, the government agreed to a short-term contract extension until April 22, but there is great uncertainty about its long-term future – and, of course, that of the kids and families it supports.
The uncertainty is paralysing and the frontline now the target of this cost-cutting regime, which seems to know no end and just continues because of our underperforming economy. It’s a far cry from Luxon’s social media videos, which present a country back on track thanks to the change in government.
He really should stop them now before he becomes a laughing stock because the fact is we may be in a worse position than a year ago. This year’s mantra was “survive until 2025″, when we were all supposed to start to thrive again. No one thought thrive would turn to barely be alive in 2025, especially under a government that talked a big economic recovery game.
It’s a messy end of the year for Luxon and the coalition, but I wonder if Oranga Tamariki chose Stand Tū Māia to make a political point about how hard it now is to achieve the savings demanded.
I thought this government wanted outcomes. Well, cut services like this and there will be outcomes that are a whole lot worse than we have. But the truth is there’s little money left to play with and little to demonstrate this government can deliver what it takes for much-needed economic growth.
We all know times are tight but Stand Tū Māia is the wrong target.
All eyes will be on April 22.
I wish I could end my 2024 columns on a high, that there was better news for Christmas, but I’m calling it as I see it. The rest is cheerleading by paid up party members and sycophants, but let’s stay positive, humble and safe.
Merry Christmas and thank you for reading this column in 2024. Be back next year!
