Urgent changes are needed to address the systemic racism Māori mothers and their pēpi experience in our welfare system.
That’s the finding in a new report from the Children’s Commissioner, which says Māori babies aged 0-3 months are five times more likely to be placed into state custody than non- Māori.
The report investigates the systemic racism and social work practices within Oranga Tamariki and is based on a series of interviews with mothers.
As the Herald reports , one of those mothers only discovered her baby was being taken from her while she was mid-labour.
Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft says the stories highlight "deep systemic issues" in the state care and protection system. You can find his full report here .
Meanwhile, the Abuse in Care Royal Commission is appealing for information from survivors of abuse in faith-based care, church or other faith-based institutions.
The Commission also wants to hear from Māori, who are disproportionately represented in the system, about their experiences of the faith-based claims process, as well as Pacific people and people with disabilities or mental illness.
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Decision looms on Level 1
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to announce when the country will shift to Alert Level 1 later today.
It follows two weeks of sustained pressure from businesses, the Opposition and her own coalition partner, Winston Peters, to make the move and lift the current restrictions for the sake of the economy.
But as Kiwis prepare for the most freedom they’ve had in months, some experts say Level 1 and its large gatherings may take some getting used to again.
Psychologists are reporting more cases of anxiety as the country moves out of lockdown and are advising those who feel anxious to keep trusting health officials and take things slowly.
Newsroom reports the looming shift to Level 1 is also giving epidemiologists some sleepless nights as they worry about complacency in the fight against Covid-19.
New Zealand currently has just the one active case of the virus but doesn’t have much in the way of international precedent to look towards when Level 1 does come.
As Marc Daalder writes , only a handful of countries have eased restrictions to the same extent, so “whether we want it or not, New Zealand is now going where almost no one has gone before.”
The next big challenge
As New Zealand prepares for the potential move to Level 1, the race for a Covid-19 vaccine continues.
TVNZ’s Sunday programme spoke to a team of Kiwi scientists at the country’s top biomedical research institute last night who are pinning their hopes on a small part of the virus.
Their vaccine formula is unique in its aim to build tiny synthetic spikes that stimulate the immune system to provide long-term protection against Covid-19.
The team at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research say they’re optimistic about the progress made so far and are close to testing their formula on mice. However, they say a vaccine that’s safe for humans is still some way off.
Pest drownings cause concern
The SPCA says it’s seeing a disturbing trend in which people are maltreating pests in the name of conservation .
1 NEWS has obtained a video posted to social media in which a rat is caught in a cage and then dropped into a barrel of water.
Drowning any animal is a prosecutable offence under the Animal Act, however the man responsible says he had no idea he was breaking the law.
The SPCA says there’s been an increase in the number of animals drowned since lockdown began.
Meanwhile, there are calls for pest control measures to protect a giant rātā tree in Wellington’s Akatarawa Forest.
New Zealand's largest rātā tree stretches to 39 metres tall, however there are fears it won’t survive a possum onslaught.
Still waiting for that online order...?
... then you’re not alone.
The Warehouse has apologised after receiving a barrage of complaints from customers still waiting for items ordered before lockdown even began.
Hundreds of customers weren't getting replies to their emails, so they took to the company's Facebook page to air their frustrations.
The Warehouse admits it was caught off guard and is promising to do better in the future.
Other news of note this morning:
The small community of Raetihi is reeling following the death of a woman and two of her grandchildren yesterday.
The Wellington Night Shelter has been described as “undignified, unhygienic and uncaring” in a damning report that’s found the refuge for the city’s most vulnerable in a state of disgrace.
Police are investigating five homicides in the North Island in the past six days.
Brazil's government has stopped publishing a running total of Covid-19 deaths and infections in a move that critics call an attempt to hide the true toll of the virus in Latin America's largest nation.
The BBC reports a slave trader's statue has been torn down and thrown into a river during a second day of anti-racism protests in the UK.
And dashcam footage has caught the moment a car drove down the wrong side of an Auckland motorway towards oncoming traffic yesterday.
And finally...
The 1 NEWS Good Sorts series continues this week with a Hamilton man who teaches people with disabilities how to play musical instruments.
Robert Mullen and his eager music students came to worldwide attention after a video of some of their efforts racked up more than 1.7 million views.
Now that lockdown is over, the band is back together again and mastering their musical instruments.
But, as Mr Mullen says, it’s about more than music, with his band members gaining an all-round confidence, too. You can check out their efforts here .
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