WAATEA NEWS COLUMN: Why did we lose a champion like Dr Claire Achmad?
As the Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad was a passionate advocate for Children in Aotearoa. She supported Government policy when it worked and she was critical when it didn’t.
Her warmth, her empathy and her courage made her someone with the mana to be the Children’s Commissioner.
She pointed out with clear eyed clarity where we were failing our kids and always had solutions on offer to remedy the damage caused by Government social policy.
She spoke truth to power.
Which is why her silencing and removal are so questionable.
She was originally given a 5 year term so that her role remained independent and beyond the punishment of the immediate Government she was criticising.
This Government reset the conditions of her role, gave her a 1 year term for that and then promptly dumped and replaced her with a new Children’s Commissioner who immediately had their term upgraded from 3 years to 5 years.
Dr Claire Achmad did not deserve that.
The Children’s Commission did not deserve that.
And the Children whose interests she protects did not deserve that.
It looks like the Government isolated a critic and removed them, not because they were bad at their job, but because they were doing their job.
Good people with real mana advocating for the most vulnerable amongst us should be celebrated, not punished because they told the truth!
We are a lesser country for this gerrymandering.
The last anti poverty champion has been executed for doing her job .
I will miss her clear simple message that POVERTY is NOT OK .Best of luck for the future NZ does not deserve you .No doubt the so called sorted wannabes will vote for harsher levels of poverty at the up coming election .
A very sick nation is now another Doctor short .
Question for answer:
“Chippy, will you give voters a clear assurance that if you become Prime Minister again, that you will re-appoint Dr Claire Achmad to complete her term as the Commissioner for Children?”
“Yes, or No?”
It feels like some obscene neo-liberal assassins grabbed Miss Ratchel and took her out and shot her on my front lawn in front of cameras, and none of our ppposition leaders noticed. It’s time they did, and vowed to fix it.
This COC Government does not like the Truth it does not fit their agenda. Does anyone remember Maki Sherman and the “hāngi pants incident” ?
Ugly stuff going on in this country these days, hopefully we will get a change of Government in November 2026.
“… This Government reset the conditions of her role, gave her a 1 year term for that and then promptly dumped and replaced her with a new Children’s Commissioner who immediately had their term upgraded from 3 years to 5 years.” Martyn Bradbury
I had no idea,
Are you telling us Martin that after removing Dr Claire Achmad from her post by passing special legislation to cut her term to 1 year, that they then gave their chosen poltical appointee 5 years in the job?
Can this really be true, it is so bizaare and so corrupt as to be unbelievable. And over the welfare of our children?
This can’t be true….
But if it is….
,
How can they get away with this?
Calling it, corrupt and disgraceful, does not adequately describe the obscenity of this action.
The opposition parties must immediately announce publicly, that on taking office they will reverse Dr Claire Accmand’s dismissal and reappoint to her role as Commissioner for Children protected for another 5 years.
NZ Herald:
Petition launched to keep Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad in role after she was not reappointed
Janhavi Gosavi
24 Jul, 2026
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellington/petition-launched-to-keep-childrens-commissioner-claire-achmad-in-role-after-she-was-not-reappointed/premium/VGYSKGD325CBRLIDU7V42F6ZOE/
Youth charities say they are “incredibly disappointed” at Claire Achmad not being reappointed Childrens Commissioner, effectively reducing her original term by two-and-a-half years.
The Herald understands Achmad reapplied for her role but was not selected, despite many children’s organisations holding her in high esteem….
[Paywalled]
Ever since first hearing Dr. Claire Achmad speaking on TV news a couple of years ago, I have thought, ‘There’s a very dedicated woman who’s in danger of losing her job.’
I bet this CoC has been chafing at the bit to get rid of her.
It was only a matter of time because she sure wasn’t singing from the CoC’s song sheet. She certainly let them have it and they wouldn’t have liked that.
She dared to criticise the perfect govt. and now she has paid for it.
I very much hope Dr. Claire doesn’t go to Australia. She would surely be reappointed to some important role as soon as the disastrous mess of a govt. goes.
Children need her.