The Expert Advisory Panel on Domestic Violence reported back to the government this week. It says New Zealand’s record is not good enough, victims deserve better, and politicians need to show some real leadership to prevent an escalating series of national tragedies.
Here is the government’s response to the first seven recommendations. I could not believe this when I read it:
| Expert Recommendation | Government Response |
|---|---|
| R1: We need new, tougher legislation | “The Government considers that no further action is required…” (Translation: “No.”) |
| R2: Ministers, including the Minister of Finance, need to take more responsibility | “The Government considers that no further action is required…” (Translation: “No.”) |
| R3: The public sector needs to take more responsibility, too, and stop working in separate bureaucratic silos | “This recommendation has already been partly addressed, and the Government will continue to review…” (Translation: “Meh”) |
| R4: A Family Violence Oversight Committee should make sure the government’s work to prevent violence is working well across the state sector | “This recommendation has already been partly addressed, and the Government will continue to review…” (Translation: “Meh”) |
| R5: The new, tougher law should reflect New Zealand’s UN obligations to protect children | “This recommendation has already been partly addressed, and the Government will continue to review…” (Translation: “Meh”) |
| R6: Education is critical to preventing family violence, and the Ministry of Education needs to take more of a role | “This recommendation has already been partly addressed, and the Government will continue to review…” (Translation: “Meh”) |
| R7: The Privacy Act should change so information sharing is easier when preventing domestic violence | “The Government considers that no further action is required…” (Translation: “No.”) |
This broad pattern continues through the rest of the government response.
That is beyond pathetic. The victims of family violence in New Zealand deserve so much better than this
Updated: Labour has released their policy on “Eliminating violence against Women and Children”. Rob Salmond comments on that here.
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