Oranga Tamariki boss Chappie Te Kani resigns

Friday, 4 April 2025

Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani has resigned.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche confirmed the resignation, saying Te Kani decided to step down to focus on his health.

“Leading Oranga Tamariki is a big job and I thank Mr Te Kani for his commitment and hard work in the last three and a half years.

“I support his decision and I wish him and his family the best.”

Te Kani in July last year said he was taking medical leave from September. While he was on leave to undergo surgery and recover, Andrew Bridgman was chief executive.

Andrew Bridgman, was ex secretary of Defence and secretary for Justice.

Te Kani officially started as the Oranga Tamariki chief executive in December 2022, although he had been acting chief executive for more than a year. He took the leadership role from Sir Wira Gardiner, who had been chief executive, became ill.

In July before he went on leave, a leaked video showed Te Kani rebuking staff for leaking, on the day 419 jobs were confirmed to be cut.

He told staff that not changing “was never an option … our status quo has not, and will not deliver on the change we need”. Te Kani said many staff exemplified “the best of public service”, but he could not ignore the “stark truth” some had not acted in the way they were expected.

Earlier in the year, Te Kani paid for work flights around the country out of his own pocket, in order to talk to staff in person about cost saving proposals and changes.