GUEST BLOG: Jackie Foster – One voice can make change

It has been proven many times that a lot of people mixed up in the Justice system or Oranga Tamariki, come from less privileged backgrounds. So, when the government decided that they were going to remove the children’s commissioner’s role, Social Justice Aotearoa needed to oppose that from the outset.

Social Justice Aotearoa believes that the Children of Aotearoa need an independent voice, a voice that will make sure that children’s needs and rights are being adhered to and a voice to work alongside the political spectrum of Aotearoa to ensure that this happens and keeps happening.

Over 95% of public submissions received by the government opposed the removal of the commissioner.

Every political party apart from Labour was opposed to this bill but it was very clear that Jacinda, Carmel Sepuloni and Kelvin Davis were on a mission.

We only need to look at the wonderful work done by past and present Children’s Commissioner’s like Dr Russell Wills and currently Judge Francis Eivers, who both have worked tirelessly to make children’s lives better, fighting against poverty, domestic violence and drug and alcohol use and abuse in private homes.

SJA presented a petition to the Honourable Louise Upston, asking that parliament ask the government to reconsider their position on the office of the children’s commissioner. I met with Louise Upston and Harete Hipango, National MP for Whanganui. I found both of these ladies to be so passionate about the subject of the commissioner’s office and it truly is heartening to know that we have such focused people speaking out on behalf of our children, giving me a sense of assurance that all is not gloom and doom in politics, also happy in the knowledge that our opinion does matter, and we were being listened to.

Now that the commissioner’s role has gone, I needed to approach this from another angle, so I sat and wrote to Christopher Luxon, leader of the opposition, asking him to give me a written assurance that if National was elected in 2023, they would reinstate the children’s commissioner role. Two weeks later I received a letter from the National Party ensuring me that they would reinstate the role, once again giving me faith and hope that our political system can actually work. Even though SJA had not succeeded in stopping the removal of the Commissioner, we had achieved a political win by guaranteeing a commissioner was, in the near future, going to be there once again to support the children of Aotearoa.

While in Wellington I met with the children’s commissioner, Judge Francis Eivers. Such a lovely lady, warming and prepared to listen. She thanked me for the support SJA had given and we discussed various concerns we both shared and how both of our organisations can complement each other, proving to me that although there is a lot of negativities in our communities and our wider nation, actually there is some light at the end of the tunnel and one person, one group or one voice can actually make change in our country.

Jackie Foster
CEO
Social Justice Aotearoa