Royal Commission Report Tabling: Our trip to Parliament
Opinion piece: Liz Gregory.
(Thoughts, opinions and views expressed here belong to Liz Gregory and may or may not represent the views of all leavers, current members or the Trust).
Part One: The day we spent at Parliament
I was in the Parliament gallery on Wednesday 24 July 2024 when the Royal Commission report was tabled relating to Abuse in State and Faith-based institutions. Rosanna Overcomer a Gloriavale Survivor, and Bronwyn Kempf, an advocate and trustee for the GLST, were sitting beside me to represent those from Gloriavale who participated in the Inquiry. It was a sobering experience.
Earlier in the day there had been a welcome and karanga for a group of survivors who walked through the streets of Wellington before arriving at Parliament with a rope, a very long rope, with ribbons tied on it. Each of these ribbons had a name and each of these names represented people who are not alive anymore and could not come and speak to the Commission about the abuse they endured. It was very moving.
As the group entered the Parliamentary foyer they started singing, “This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine.” The name of the report is “Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light”
And that is what this report has done it is exposed a great darkness of shame. We joined in singing, through weepy eyes and a lump in our throats, as we waited in line for our bags to be checked before passing through security screening. It was quite an emotional moment.
We made our way into the public gallery seats where had been reserved for survivors and advocate groups and there was also an overflow banquet room waiting to receive the extras they could not fit in. We arrived a couple of hours early to ensure we had excellent seats overlooking the MP’s and we settled in to watch the usual antics of parliamentarians reading out various reports and asking questions – with plenty of banter.
But at 4pm the tone changed. The party politics ended and everyone turned their attention to the most serious occasion everyone had come to witness.
It was a sobering experience to say the least. 14 kg of papers were bought onto the table and unpacked by several Parliamentary staff. These piles stood more than a foot high and an overwhelming sadness come over me that on the pages of these reports were horrific experiences of abuse from 2500 survivors across New Zealand. Clearly it’s a drop in the ocean of the numbers of people that could have contributed. Estimates are that more than 650,000 kiwis over the 50 years of the Inquiry were abused in these settings. That is distressing to say the least.
However, that last thing we want to do is take that number and use it to show that abuse is pretty common, and thus not such a big deal. That is not true. Abuse is horrifying. It should not be minimised. It should not be tolerated or excused. Abuse has lifelong impacts for those who suffer from it.
The Commission’s job was to look at the possible breadth and extent of abuse in New Zealand in State and faith-based institutions and to look at the reasons for State failure and to provide a pathway forwards to ensure the darkness doesn’t occur again.
Five years ago a group of us, including advocates and Gloriavale leavers, started to work with the Commission on ensuring Gloriavale was included in the scope of the report. Over 50 leavers shared their stories with the Commission, which is quite a large percentage of adults leavers. Gloriavale is mentioned more than 150 times in the report.
Following on from the tabling, were a series of speeches from various politicians representing all of the parties in the house. It appeared that each party was able to give two speeches and I found them to be incredibly moving. The speeches didn’t feel manufactured. They feel like there was deep emotion emanating from some, and a true desire that the government acknowledge this harm and do better moving forwards. Our parliamentarians are primarily people who live in our communities and who know people who have suffered harm, and some of the parliamentarians shared that abuse in State care had touched them or a family member. The question is, can they translate that into appropriate action inside the port-folios they hold?
Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister opened the speeches with this:
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come.
It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the stories of 2,400 survivors – many of whom are here today.
To every person who took part, I say thank you for your exceptional strength, your incredible courage, and your confronting honesty. Because of you, we know the truth about the abuse and trauma you have endured.
I cannot take away your pain, but I can tell you this: You are heard and you are believed. Many of your stories are horrific and harrowing. They are painful to read, but not as painful as they were to endure. The State was supposed to care for you – but instead many of you were subjected to the most horrendous physical, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse.
A number of faith-based schools, institutions and people in positions of authority who you should have been able to trust – failed you in the worst possible way. When you tried to speak up those same people turned a blind eye, they covered it up, and they prevented you from seeking justice for far too long.
Māori, Pacific, deaf and disabled people disproportionately bore the brunt of a lot of what occurred.
Not only has this had a devastating impact on your life, but also on your families and communities. We like to think that abuse like this doesn’t happen here in New Zealand. But it did and it is a shameful chapter of our history that we must confront.
Mr Speaker, this is a dark and sorrowful day in New Zealand’s history.
It is important that, as a country, we bring to the surface and understand the hard truths of what happened so we can try and move forward together.
I say to the survivors, the burden is no longer yours to carry alone. The State is now standing here beside you, accountable and ready to take action. Mr Speaker, the Royal Commission traversed many types of care as part of its inquiry.
It is my heavy duty to say that today, the Government is formally acknowledging that the experiences of some children and young people at Lake Alice Hospital did amount to torture. Patients at Lake Alice were given electric shocks without anaesthetic, as well as painful and immobilising paraldehyde injections. These so-called treatments were not administered for medical reasons. They were used for punishment and emotional control. These experiences were nothing short of horrific and they happened in the New Zealand health system within living memory.
To the survivors of Lake Alice – some of whom are here today – thank you for your determination to ensure what you suffered was brought to light. What happened was wrong. You knew then it was wrong, and all these years later, the State also acknowledges it was wrong. Today, I humbly stand before you in this house to offer a long overdue apology to the survivors of Lake Alice. I am sorry that it has taken so long for this acknowledgement of torture.
I also acknowledge Paul Zentveld and Malcolm Richards who took cases against New Zealand to the United Nations Committee Against Torture. Thank you for your courage, your bravery and your determination. I know that for some Lake Alice survivors, the acknowledgement today that what happened to you was torture is something for which you have been waiting for decades.
For you, this is a day of great significance. For others who suffered torture, I know this acknowledgement feels hollow without the recognition that comes with redress. I regret that that is not something that we can give you today, but it is a priority for the Government in the coming months.
We are here today because it was important to the Government that an acknowledgement and sincere apology be made with gravitas and dignity. It deserved to be made in this Parliament. I know that some survivors are in fragile health and that a number have passed away during the inquiry, never hearing the State acknowledge the true extent of what happened to them. To their families and whānau, I am sorry that they are not here to hear the State admit to what we should have owned many years ago.
Mr Speaker, not every child in state care was harmed and of course there are, and always have been, many dedicated and devoted foster parents and social workers committed to looking after children in their care. But today is about acknowledging those who had their carefree childhoods cruelly taken away from them.
The tabling of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care report is of historical significance to New Zealand. It is the result of the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held on our shores.
The report has taken six years to write and is almost 3,000 pages long comprising 16 volumes. Because of this, the content needs to be considered with respect and with care. It cannot be rushed. The findings in this report need to be widely understood.
While we can never make right the harm survivors experienced, the Government must be accountable and support survivors. Erica Stanford will lead a Ministerial Group to respond to the report’s findings and the 138 recommendations.
The first step is a formal apology which will take place on November 12th. This is a significant and important milestone, and we are working with survivor groups to deliver an event that gives it the dignity it deserves. The apology will provide an important opportunity for the Government, and the leaders of other political parties, to take responsibility on behalf of the nation for the failures of the State across many governments.
I know survivors have been waiting a long time for changes to how the State and churches provide redress. I want to assure you that we understand the urgency and importance of this work and we will provide clarity before the end of the year.
I do want to pay tribute to the Commissioners and all of the staff who worked on this Inquiry. There is no doubt that those who have heard, written and read these accounts have been impacted by these horrific and harrowing experiences. The care, sensitivity and dedication you have shown in compiling this report is greatly appreciated – thank you.
I would also like to acknowledge the previous Labour Government who commenced this important inquiry almost six years ago. A terrible injustice was done in the name of State care. It is now the responsibility of the State to make redress and this Government will ensure it happens. And as Prime Minister, I will ensure the State carries its care and protection responsibilities with great weight.
As difficult as it is, I hope all New Zealanders take the time to read this report to understand the abuse that you, the survivors, suffered and the lifelong impact it has had on your lives. Through this, we will understand the obligation we all have to prevent it happening again and to speak up whenever and wherever we see the abuse of anyone, in care or otherwise.
I want to again acknowledge the survivors for their exceptional bravery and for sharing their stories. I share your dream for the next generation where every child, young person and adult is loved, safe, and cared for in a manner that supports their growth and development into a thriving contributor to our society. I will never lose sight of what you have endured to bring the truth to life.
I would like to close with an excerpt from a karakia written by Waihoroi Shortland who worked on the Inquiry:
“To you upon whom this inquiry has been centred,
Resolute in your pursuit of justice
Relentless in your belief for life
We have only our highest regard and respect,
May your peace of mind be assured.”
Thank you.
After the speeches, there was a function where the public were invited to the Banquet hall for food and drinks and to mix and mingle with other survivors, advocates and MP’s.
One of the Commission advocates introduced us to the Prime Minister and he spent a generous amount of time talking to us. He really wanted to engage with Rosanna and he asked that brilliant question, “How have you gone from there to here?” It’s a question of hope. It’s a very powerful question to ask someone, “What has helped you to survive?” He struck us as genuine in his manner. He knew about the “good work” we are involved in. We let him know we thought his apology was heartfelt and powerful, but in the case of Gloriavale, there are still current and ongoing issues to resolve. We let him know he would be receiving an invitation from us to attend a Parliament Cult event in October. He expressed a genuine desire to attend.
We were also introduced to Police Minister Mark Mitchell, and we bravely took an opportunity to introduce ourselves to Erica Standford (Minister of Education and in charge of the Royal Commission response) and Paul Goldsmith (Minister for Justice).
They all asked how we found the experience and Rosanna gave eloquent replies saying that words are important, but actions speak even louder.
Where to from here?
When to from here? Advocacy never ends when a report gets written. The final words in Parliament yesterday sum it up. What matters the most? The people the people the people.
No one can fall asleep at the wheel. Promises were made by government yesterday and now we all as a collective need to stand side-by-side and hold them to account for keeping those promises.
The advocates, supporters and survivors of Gloriavale will remember the promises made and we commit ourselves again to continue to fight for safety (all kinds of safety) and the freedom for the people still inside Gloriavale.
And so we will get up again tomorrow and every day and do the best we can.
Meanwhile, leavers will do more than that. They have just again filed court proceedings against Gloriavale for slavery, and against the Government for their failures in enabling this system of slavery to exist. Right underneath their noses…
I wonder what the Government thinks about that? Again we see survivors doing the job of the Government. Why should they keep having to do that?
Please keep reading Part Two and Three of this blog post series as we examine the how the Government can apologise on one hand, and yet not deal effectively with an organisation who currently continues to cause harm. Then we will examine the report and the recommendations. I’ve just finished reading the 2500 pages and there is a lot to digest.