Women urge debate on children’s commissioner

Press, 6 April 1989, Page 16

Women urge debate on children’s commissioner

PA Wellington The Minister of Social Welfare, Dr Cullen, should promote debate on options for the proposed commissioner for children, the National Council of Women says. The council, in its latest newsletter, said the appropriate place for a children’s commissioner could be in the Human Rights Commission.

It said there would be no opportunity for public debate if Dr Cullen’s initial proposal was written into the new Children and Young Persons legislation, and sought members’ support in requesting “a more considered approach.”

Dr Cullen announced last month that an independent advocate similar to an Ombudsman would be appointed by the Gov-ernor-General to monitor

Government policies and court practices. The commissioner would have statutory powers to inquire into matters affecting children’s welfare and would receive administration costs from the Social Welfare vote. Dr Cullen’s announcement came after years of campaigning by service groups for a children’s commission. The defunct Committee for Children, set up in the International Year of the Child in 1979, promoted the idea. When it went out of existence last year, the National Council of Women promised to continue the campaign.

A Human Rights Commissioner, Rae Julian, also supported the idea and discussed three options with the Committee

for Children: a children’s Ombudsman, a children’s commissioner as part of the Human Rights Commission or an independent children’s commission with links to the Human Rights Commission, similar to the Race Relations Office. The Committee for Children preferred the last option as providing the most advantages and powers.

The working party reviewing the Children and Young Persons Bill favoured a national children’s interests advisory committee to replace the National Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Child Abuse which was a Ministerial appointment. It also favoured enhancing the role of the Ombudsman where child clients of governmental hndips werp rnncprnpri