Mother-of-seven becomes first Assistant Māori Children's Commissioner

Wednesday, 7 October 2020

Despite the issue being bought to light, babies are still being taken from Māori mothers by Oranga Tamaraki. Published July 18, 2020.

Protecting the right of tamariki Māori to live in a world free of racism in all its forms is a key ambition outlined by the country’s first assistant Māori commissioner for children.

Mother-of-seven, including three whāngai children, Glenis Philip-Barbara has been appointed to the newly-created position by children’s commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft in an announcement on Wednesday.

“I think in terms of an advocacy organisation for New Zealand’s 1.1 million children, we need to have a Māori world view, a Māori perspective, a Māori knowledge base embedded in the governance of the Office, and that would benefit all New Zealand’s children, but particularly the 300,000 or so Māori,” Becroft said.

Glenis Philip-Barbara has been named as New Zealand's first-ever Assistant Māori Children's Commissioner.

“They need a voice, and they need an advocate, and the Government needs to hear that voice loud and clear and I hope that the role can deliver that.

Glenis Philip-Barbara joins Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft in a new role as Assistant Māori Children's Commissioner.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, pictured here speaking at Tuesday’s Press Leaders Debate in Christchurch, says the establishment of an assistant Māori children’s commissioner is “another good step”.

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First annual report shows Oranga Tamariki working more closely with Māori. Published August 11, 2020.

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Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss last year announced changes following an investigation in a high-profile uplift. Published June 8, 2019

“I would’ve wished for a co-commissioner, but the law doesn’t allow for it. But what I can do is appoint an assistant Māori commissioner … it will be an important role and I want to work collaboratively and collegially,” Becroft said.

Speaking in Dunedin, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the new commissioner role would “only add to the changes [the country] is starting to see”.

“Initiatives like Oranga Tamariki engaging with Whānau Ora for delivery, the iwi partnerships, all of that is creating momentum for change and I think that this is just another good step,” Ardern said.

Philip-Barbara (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Uepōhatu, Clan McDonald) said the role was a “huge honour”.

“First up, I really want to understand the extent to which every one of those tamariki has a safe, stable whānau to grow up in. I don’t think that’s common knowledge, and we need to understand it a lot better, I think, to sort of help, guide, and shape and influence policy as it moves forward.

“This is going to be the task that I am most looking forward to getting into, but also, if we can understand how many tamariki are growing up in safe, stable and loving homes, then obviously we’re going to have a measure of how many that aren’t,” Philip-Barbara said.

She comes into the role at a time when children’s ministry Oranga Tamariki is under significant pressure to meet the demands of Māori families.

These struggles came into sharp focus after video emerged of a six-day-old Māori baby being uplifted from a young Hawke’s Bay mother in May 2019. The confronting footage saw the government agency make changes to its practices following two high-level reviews.

Becroft has spoken about the need for a commissioner who specifically advocated for the rights of Māori children, after previously revealing that Māori babies under three months old are five times more likely to be taken by the state than non-Māori.

In part one of his report, Te Kuku o te Manawa, released in June this year, Māori mothers of newborns involved with Oranga Tamariki characterised the child welfare system as being dangerous, brutal and racist, prompting Becroft to call for fundamental change at the children’s ministry.

Philip-Barbara’s appointment has also coincided with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in care, which has shone a spotlight on the negative, intergenerational impact mistreatment in state care has had on Māori.

Philip-Barbara has worked in the public service for 30 years and has had a lifelong interest in the sustainability of Māori knowledge systems and practices, especially in te reo Māori.

When watching the baby uplift footage, Philip-Barbara agreed “with many commentators, who saw it for what it was – and that’s poor practice – and I think as a nation, we need to do better”, she said.

“What’s really exciting is seeing communities really leaning in to being a part of the solution, putting their hands up and participating in all the conversations and the mahi that needs to happen to change things for tamariki … and we can build on that momentum,” Philip-Barbara said.

Ardern also addressed the issue of uplifts when asked on Wednesday.

“None of us want that, but we also want children to be safe. Our goal has to be preventing the situations where we see uplifts in the first place,” the Labour leader said.