GUEST BLOG: Jackie Foster – HONESTY PREVAILS

Last week I was asked to present oral submissions to parliament on a petition I presented to parliament last year. 

When I received the invitation, my thinking was twofold, I am getting heard and there really is a chance of changing something for the betterment of New Zealand and our people. 

Having presented my submissions to the select committee, next in line were Corrections with their submissions, effectively trying to answer all the issues I had highlighted, making light of serious issues that are faced by prisoners and their whanau. 

Personally I take criticism on the chin, living by the motto “open and truthful conversation is a good thing”, something I will always stand by, but when a government department sends in the head of a department to simply make everything look great, and not inform the politicians of the truth, highlighting that there is actually a problem they need help with, how can we as a country expect things to get better. 

Not being one to stand back, I took the opportunity over the weekend to answer the rubbish that had been submitted by corrections, counteracting all of what they had said with the truth, backed with real life evidence that cannot be denied, and I can substantiate at the drop of a hat. 

The above Scenario begs the question, “where does any government get their advice from?” and why are they not actually having a look for themselves, because if they did, I know their decisions would be totally different based on the facts, not some fabricated story to make the issue seemingly disappear.

In closing I now will wait and see if my second open, honest, substantiated evidence is heard and listened to or just put on the shelves to gather dust, making me fight even harder than before. 

Jackie Foster is CEO of Social Justice Aotearoa