Some Things About This Country Are Truly Odious

New Zealand's Enduring Shame

Right now in New Zealand we have a most pernicious situation in which Maori children are being left with evil people (relatives) to care for them and raise them.  Why? Well, it is a racist policy.

Imagine a panel of "experts" deciding into which "family" a one year old Maori toddler ought to be placed.  There are three possible family options: a Samoan family, a Maori family, or a Caucasian family.  The Maori family gets the nod.  Why?  Blood ties are the overriding factor.

Now that is flat out racism in our book.  And so we get defenceless Maori children being placed with sub-optimal Maori families because race overrides all.  That's about as racist a policy as you could find on this globe.  But New Zealand authorities, whether governmental or cultural, clap and cheer lustily.  New Zealand, consequently, is one of the most racist countries on earth--at least as far as this particular metric is concerned.

Here is the latest outrage:

'It seems preventable': Victim support advocate says death of toddler could have been avoided

Luke Kirkness
NZ Herald

Police launched a homicide investigation on Sunday following the toddler's death after he succumbed to serious head injuries.  Last week the Herald reported the toddler's mother had five older children removed from her care by Oranga Tamariki - this child was not.

Asked whether she thought the death of the child was preventable, [Victim Support person, Ruth] Money told the Weekend Collective on Newstalk ZB it likely could have.  "It seems like utter madness [the child was in her care], on the outside, it seems preventable," she said.  "I don't know this case so I'm only speculating based on my experience but I would suggest ... there's all sorts of dramas going on for this whanau.  There is alcohol, there are drugs, there's self-confidence and self-love issues."

Starship Hospital staff alerted police to the case and it is understood the child's injuries may have been deliberately inflicted.  The 16-month-old was rushed to hospital on June 23 around 7.30pm, however, he was pronounced dead on Saturday afternoon.  Detective Senior Sergeant Geoff Baber said the death was an "absolute tragedy" and a team of 20 investigators would work on the case.

Oranga Tamariki is the government department responsible for the wellbeing of children, specifically those at risk of harm.  Based on her own experiences and "very personal opinion", Money said the agency was not fit for purpose and changes needed to be made.  "I don't think that the service is delivering everything that it needs to do to make sure the community or whānau flourish.  "When you take [children] out of a dangerous environment and allegedly put them in a safe environment, which is state care, they often come out worse than they started.

A fundamental reason why Maori child placements made by the Stage agency Oranga Tamariki fail is that most of the Maori children are placed back with the extended Maori family whence they came.

We repeat Ruth Money's words:

"It seems like utter madness [the child was in her care], on the outside, it seems preventable," she said.  "I don't know this case so I'm only speculating based on my experience but I would suggest ... there's all sorts of dramas going on for this whanau.  There is alcohol, there are drugs, there's self-confidence and self-love issues."

Why is this situation allowed to continue in this country?  Racism--pure and simple.  Maori children must needs be housed with, and raised by Maori--and particularly by the extended family (whanau) of the child.  This is nothing other than institutionalised racism at its deadly worst.