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“Children’s commissioner desperately needed” - Kelvin Davis

SJA staff
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Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis has put all agencies on notice, with a top-down instruction
to every department that they need to take responsibility for caring for vulnerable children.
In reply to Kelvin Davis’ cry for help, Jackie Foster CEO of Social Justice Aotearoa, has said.

“This is the job of the Children’s Commissioner not the CEO of the Ministry of Justice or the
CEO of the Ministry of Social Development. Those people won’t advocate for children like
our current and previous Children’s Commissioners have”.

Davis said he expected an official update every six months, with the first arriving in
December. But he also encouraged officials and frontline staff to report any roadblocks
sooner, saying he expected the public service’s top brass to act with haste – or he is willing to
get involved.

“The Children’s Commissioner reports directly to the Prime Minister on matters affecting
children, so asking CEOs of other agencies to get involved just makes no sense, and we
reiterate that removing the role of the Children’s Commissioner will only make things worse”
Jackie said.

Social Justice Aotearoa’s position remains very focused and clear, “The Children’s
Commissioner role must remain as it is now, and the government needs to listen to the people
of Aotearoa”.