Fox Marama: Urgent Debates — Office of the Children’s Commissioner—State of Care 2015ReportText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFox Marama: Urgent Debates — Office of the Children’s Commissioner—State of Care 2015Report[Sitting date: 27 August 2015. Volume:708;Page:6271. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party): I think it is unfortunate that I have got only 5 minutes to speak because there is so much to talk about in response to the Children’s Commissioner’s report. I am grateful for the opportunity that this debate has brought to the House and for the wisdom of the Speaker to allow us to have this debate at this time. I have three papers here and a Facebook feed because there are whānau sitting at home watching this who have been sending me messages saying “Marama we need to do more.” What they are saying to me is that actually this is not just a whole-of-Government approach that needs to happen. This is not all on the shoulders of just our Minister for Social Development. This is on the shoulders of this nation. Darroch Ball was correct: it is our shame the shame of this country because there is a group of people who have historical claims of abuse while in State care. There are 900—and more—historical claims still to be listened to.I have messages here from Mate Tangitū who is a voluntary worker for the advocacy group known as Te Roopu Haurongo in Ngāti Awa. It sits in Te Kooti Rangatahi and provides advocacy and support. She has given me her top five priorities and I would like to share them with you. First acceptance of why this is happening to our tamariki and mokopuna—our whānau need to also step up. Second education—we get trapped into these cycles of abuse and they continue from parent to child and parent to child. That education will help us get out of that. Third counselling and other services need to be implemented because mothers have been victims she is saying. Fourth money is not the only answer here. She does this for nothing. She is a voluntary worker and there are many parents and grandparents as Nanaia has pointed out who take up the slack when our children are being victimised and abused. Fifth we need to strive for independence from not codependency on the State. I take all of her points to heart because I think she makes some valid points.I am very concerned from this paper about the levels of Māori who are being subject to abuse in our system. Twenty-two percent of New Zealand’s young people under the age of 20 are Māori and 58 percent of the children in Child Youth and Family’s care are Māori. This has a huge impact on our people and we need to do something. We have been trying with previous Governments and with this Government to interact as the Minister pointed out in question time today through iwi and cultural involvement because our young people need to be secure in their language culture and identity. It helps them grow independent and strong and face up to some of the issues that they struggle with.The report Pūao te ata tū – Daybreak which came out in 1998 actually said—and I am just going to quote from this actually because I think this is fundamental—“funding should be directed to the Maatua Whangai so that they can channel direct to the families rather than going through the rigmarole of going from one section of Social Welfare to another.” and “If the programme is to get the support of the people then it must come back to the whanau base and when I say that it must come back with all accountability.” That was a quote from the group who put Pūao te ata tū– Daybreak together. They had a major influence in the development of the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act in 1989 and they made a whole lot of recommendations. The children and young person’s family whānau hapū or iwi group should participate in making the decisions. More and more we have seen over recent times that that is no longer happening; that actually has been taken off the marae. Our young people and our families who are most vulnerable are being separated from their cultural connection. We need to ensure that that continues to happen. Some developments have occurred within the welfare system to increase responsiveness to Māori. Whānau Ora provides a unique opportunity to do that. I welcome the engagement with the Minister that she has offered to ensure that that continues and grows. Kia ora.