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SJA BLOGS
Social Justice Aotearoa calling for greater accountability
SJA supports Alcohol Harm bill
“Alcohol is killing innocent New Zealanders and is a major attributing factor in
domestic violence, so why does it take a Knight of New Zealand to speak out
for our politicians to take note” says Jackie Foster.
Prisoners have rights too
Social Justice Aotearoa CEO Jackie Foster says the use of CCTV cameras in showers and
toilets by Corrections is disgraceful.
Congratulations Labour, three strikes gone!
Social Justice Aotearoa is congratulating the labour government on repealing the three
strikes law.
Troubled Youth need the voice of an independent Childrens Commissioner
position of removing the children’s commissioner role as it is now.
CEO Jackie Foster has today said, “its little wonder we are seeing youth out of control in our youth detention centres, kids like this come from broken homes and need structure and support not locking up without a voice or solutions. It hasn’t worked previously and it’s not working now.”
Foster went on to say, “I accept that youth crime is on a downward trend, and congratulate Ministers Davis and Sepuloni for the good work that they have done on this issue, but the work has only just started, and by removing the children’s commissioner the job will only get harder”.
Around 80% of the young offenders who come under the watch of Oranga Tamariki have been the victim of family violence, and over 90% of them have a learning disability.
Jackie said “it seriously is time to understand the damage caused by, old out of date government policy forced on New Zealand by the likes of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and the bad effect it has had. We need to find better family-based solutions, working with not only children but also the families involved.
National will reinstate a Children’s Commissioner as policy
Social Justice Aotearoa CEO Jackie Foster has had written confirmation from National party
leader, Christopher Luxon, that a National elected government will reinstate a children’s
commissioner immediately.
“Children’s commissioner desperately needed” - Kelvin Davis
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”.
Michael Laws social media post labelled as racist
Which commissioner role is next in Labours sights?
Social Justice Aotearoa CEO Jackie Foster has today said, her concern is “if one commissioner’s role is being removed, which commissioner is next?”
Corrections stabbing highlights how inept the Minister really is
as a disgrace which lays squarely at the feet of the Minister Kelvin Davis, because he has the
power to implement the solutions.
We said two weeks ago “how can corrections operate effectively and safely when they don’t
have the tools to do so” Foster said.
Foster said, “the assaults of officers and inmates has been on the increase but has spiralled
since this government came to power in 2017”!
It was pleasing to have been briefed that the officer involved is resting and healing at home,
and our aroha and support go out to him and his whanau.
“Only two weeks ago we saw Jacinda Ardern remove the Minister of Police for lack of
performance, isn’t it time she realises Corrections is in turmoil and removes the Minister
before we see more damage human lives” Jackie said.
“Under this Minister we have seen two inmates murdered, hundreds of violent assaults,
riots, and now the staff being put in threatening positions.”
Jackie went on to say “not only does Corrections have one of the biggest budgets of any
government department, but it also has a likeness to a quickly sinking ship.”
Youth offending will only get worse by abolishing the role of the Children’s Commissioner
will only worsen if this labour government abolishes the Children Commissioners
role”.
“We repeatedly focus on the children committing these crimes, but what needs to
be happening is that we need to start focusing on the family structure, if any, that
theses youth offenders are part of” Jackie said.
A well-structured family environment for all children is a basic right and need, and
without that, things will never be right. Children need to feel loved, nurtured,
respected and without those three vital rights, things get out of control quickly.
The Children’s Commissioner has a vital independent role in all of the above and
we know she is working hard to give the troubled youth of Aotearoa the voice and
help that they so desperately need, which once again highlights the concern we
have with Carmel Sepuloni proposing to abolish the office and role of the
children’s commissioner.
Video - Nearly 800 positions unstaffed at Corrections amid rapid rise in assaults on workers
Lobby group supports Children’s Commissioner’s position of democratic independency
Frances Eivers who said, “There absolutely needs to be a commissioner for children
and it needs to remain independent”.
Social Justice Aotearoa calls for Police accountability
Social Justice Aotearoa CEO Jackie Foster is calling for the Police to revisit every conviction overseen by any police officer or crown prosecutor, who was also involved in the conviction of Allan Hall.
Jackie Foster said, “If there has been corruption in one investigation, the possibility of other coerced convictions is very real, and needs to be seriously looked at.”
“Why does it take people like private investigator Tim McKinnel for this horrific kind of injustice to be rectified?
“The public of New Zealand need to have confidence in our Police, but that confidence is waning very quickly, if it hasn’t already diminished completely,” Jackie Foster said.
