Submissions

Only public submissions from the previous 12 months are displayed. If you wish to view an earlier submission from the Office of the Children's Commissioner, please click to view all submissions.

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30 April 2010
Inquiry into the identification, rehabilitation, and care and protection of child offenders (the Inquiry)
The Children’s Commissioner’s submission to the Select Committee on their Inquiry into the identification, rehabilitation, and care and protection of child offenders. The submission provides advice to the Committee on how to identify early and respond to behaviours by children under 10 years old that are indicators of subsequent offending, deal more effectively with the offending of children aged 10 to 13 and to make provision for a balanced approach to offending by children that will meet the objectives of good nurturing and socialisation of the child, meeting community safety concerns and reducing re-offending.
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1 April 2010
Making Auckland a Great Place for Children
This submission focuses Children's Commissioner's, Dr John Angus response to the general tenor of the discussion document. Focusing on the aspects that are most relevant to children, particularly the role and responsibilities of Local Boards and the way in which Local Boards interact with other structures within the new arrangements to incorporate social issues and services and bring children and young people’s interests and voices into Council and Local Boards’ decision-making processes.
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31 March 2010
Submission on the Child and Family Protection Bill
The Children’s Commissioner’s submission supports changes to both the Domestic Violence Act and the Care of Children Act. The submission notes the proposed amendments take steps to recognising the interests and rights of children exposed to family violence. Additionally, support is given to changes that recognise psychological abuse as a form of violence. While the Commissioner is pleased that a specific change to the Adoption Act increases penalties for this offering or accepting financial gain for adoption, he notes that the Act itself is out of date and does not provide a strong legislative foundation for good practice. His submission urges the Committee to give consideration to a comprehensive review of the Adoption Act 1955.
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31 March 2010
Submission on Review of Special Education 2010
“The Government is currently undertaking a review of the special education part of our education system. It is important that the education system caters for all students and the Government called for submissions on how our education system can best respond to and provide for students with diverse needs. This document details the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s response to the questions in the Review of Special Education 2010 discussion document.”
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12 February 2010
Submission on the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform)
The submission focuses on the opportunity in the Auckland local government reforms to make Auckland a great place for children. This submission also highlights explicitly building the interests, rights and well being of children and young people, and their voice, into the new processes and structures. Incorporating these suggestions into the new processes and structures would have Auckland recognised on the international stage as a city, which supports and nurtures its youthful, multicultural and diverse population. It will be seen as a great place for children, young people and their families to live. This would help attract and retain talented young people, families and investment.
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2 December 2009
Submission on the reform of New Zealand's liquor laws
The Commissioner's submission concentrates on the impact of adult drinking behaviours on children and young people especially impacts that contribute to the abuse, neglect and maltreatment of children and young people. This submission also highlights the concerns that young people themselves have about their peer group’s drinking behaviours. The research, discussions with individuals and the views of young people have led to the Commissioner favouring reforms that will limit access to alcohol (through the control of price and density of liquor outlets), seek to change our current drinking behaviours, and minimise harm and damage to children and young people. The mortality and morbidity data regarding alcohol-related deaths and injuries provides a gruesome picture of the impact of drinking behaviours and attitudes of young and older New Zealanders alike. The statistics alone are cause to review and reform this country’s liquor laws.
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2 October 2009
Safer Journeys
Children’s Commissioner’s submission to Ministry of Transport: Safer Journeys Discussion Document Submission on the Safer Journeys Discussion Document to the Ministry of Transport. Children’s Commissioner, Dr John Angus supports the proposals contained within Safekids New Zealand’s submission. This submission advocates for the adoption of best practice, evidence-based road safety measures to increase the safety of New Zealand’s roads for children and young people. His priorities to improve road safety for children and young people in New Zealand include four recommendations: a zero blood alcohol concentration for young drivers, raising the driving age to 16 and extending the learner licence period, reducing speeds in areas where children and young people congregate, and aligning New Zealand with international best practice in relation to booster seat requirements and looking at ways to make booster seats financially accessible for families.
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30 April 2009
Memorandum to the Tax Working Group
The purpose of the memorandum from the children’s Commissioner to the Tax Working Group is to provide information on the current economic position of children, note the impact of tax benefit policies on that economic position, recommend that the Group considers the impact on children of the options for change they discuss in their deliberations and to make some suggestions about the changes the Group might recommend.
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