Rosewarne DanDAN ROSEWARNE (Labour): I've taken this call to express my concern and opposition to the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill and I believe the member who has brought this bill before the House has the best of intentions—I really do. But I stand strongly against this piece of legislation because it threatens to undo the progress that we have made to give better care to Māori children separated from their families. This bill runs counter to the wellbeing of children in Aotearoa. This bill aims to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 and this section creates the duty for Oranga Tamariki to respect the Treaty of Waitangi and to report publicly on the measures it has taken to fulfil that obligation. This section was introduced to make sure that Oranga Tamariki takes into account the significance of whakapapa culture and identity in decisions concerning the welfare of Māori children. There is a significant disparity between the number of Māori and non-Māori children being taken into State care and this creates the need to provide better care for Māori children and to address the systemic issues that have led to this situation. This section provides the legal push to make sure that Oranga Tamariki does its most to engage with Māori communities and to provide children with a familiar and appropriate cultural environment. Increasing engagement with Māori communities and ensuring that children are placed in a culturally appropriate environment only when it's safe to do so will absolutely create better outcomes for the children and that should always be the priority for Oranga Tamariki. When I think of the care of our children I also think of the Te Whare Tapa Whā model that was developed by leading Māori health advocate Sir Mason Durie in 1984. This model describes health and wellbeing as a wharenui or a meeting house with four walls and those walls represent taha wairua which is our spiritual wellbeing; taha hinengaro our mental and emotional wellbeing; taha tinana which is our physical wellbeing; and taha whānau our family and social wellbeing. Our connection with the whenua and the land forms the foundation and when all these things are in balance we thrive. When one or more of these walls is out of balance our wellbeing is impacted. In my view section 7AA represents three of those four pillars within Oranga Tamariki: taha wairua which is our spiritual wellbeing; taha hinengaro the mental wellbeing; and then also our social wellbeing. Repealing this section would be like pulling these three pillars out from our whare and it cannot stand any more and it cannot complete its purpose. In this case it would threaten and weaken the link between whakapapa culture and identity in decisions concerning the welfare of Māori children. While most Crown agencies are bound to consider the principles of the Treaty section 7AA goes one step further. It obliges Oranga Tamariki to give practical effect to those principles in reporting back publicly on what measures have been taken to achieve that obligation. This section also gives Oranga Tamariki the responsibility to consider structural issues that have historically disadvantaged and negatively affected Māori children in care. So it's quite a holistic approach: helping the children in need and trying to help solve issues that have led to this situation in the first place with care. The amendment bill under consideration today ignores the unique needs and experiences of Māori children and families and it fails to acknowledge the ongoing impact of the historical social injustices and systemic discrimination on Māori communities. Section 7AA has had a tangible result on the performance of Oranga Tamariki. Since it took effect in 2019 there's been a lot of improvement in the wellbeing of tamariki Māori and trying to go back on this now would be a significant step backwards. So unfortunately I cannot support this bill the Labour Party cannot support the bill and we do not commend it to the House.