Whānau, hapū and iwi are being encouraged to have their say on the review of family violence laws.
The review "Strengthening New Zealand's Legislative Response to Family Violence" launched yesterday by Justice Minister Amy Adams aims to reduce New Zealand's horrific family violence track record.
The Minister has outlined that in order to achieve this goal the Government must reach out to all sectors of the community. She also outlined that far too many Māori families were experiencing family violence and the important role iwi could play in this process.
Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox says, “We know family violence has a devastating impact on our tamariki and whānau so it’s critical that we ensure our views are heard.”
The discussion document focuses on a number of areas of legislation regarding family violence which include protection orders, making family violence offences more visible, better information sharing across agencies and creating additional pathways to resolving family violence.
The Minister of Māori Development Te Ururoa Flavell says, “We’re pleased to see the Government take a Whānau Ora approach to tackling family violence and working hard to break down the silo mentality of government agencies."
Submissions on the review of family violence laws close on 18 September 2015.