AUCKLAND—The appointment of a controversial campaigner for the rights of children as a commissioner to the board of the Families Commission has horrified leading politicians in New Zealand. The appointment of Christine Rankin, former head of Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ), was revealed recently and has hit headlines since.
Ms. Rankin’s appointment has outraged leaders of the Green Party, the United Future Party, and the Labor Party.
United Future leader Peter Dunn, founder of the Families Commission, describes Ms Rankin’s appointment as a “mistake” and says she must step down in order to preserve the integrity of the commission.
Leader of the Labour Party Phil Goff also decried Ms. Rankin’s appointment in an interview with TV3, saying she is “divisive, has a troubled record, and is unrepresentative.”
Advocate for Children
Ms. Rankin said she is a passionate advocate for children. “The Families Commission should be having a big impact on New Zealand and the comments I have been getting is that most people don’t know what it does,” she told The Epoch Times.
New Zealand ranks third in the world amongst countries that have the worst record for “murdering their babies,” Ms. Rankin said.
“The criminal penalty that people get is terrible. Parents that beat their children get pathetic sentences,” she said. “The maximum penalty [in New Zealand] for beating a dog is three years. The maximum penalty for beating a child is two years.
“That sends out a message that we don’t really care.”
She said the National Party is changing that trend.
The National government has also appointed Mr. Grant Pilbrow, head of Parents Inc., an organization that provides parents with resources and practical solutions, to the commission.
Bob McCroskie from Family First says he is “stoked” with the changes. “They represent a different viewpoint to what we have seen coming out of the Families Commission since it was established.”
He was optimistic that, with two new appointees, the commission would now start listening to the voice of families and advocate for them in a meaningful way.
Strong Opposition
Green Party Member of Parliament Sue Bradford, a vocal advocate for the anti-smacking bill which was passed into legislation in 2007, has called the appointment “political sabotage.” She accused Ms. Rankin of being “an outspoken supporter of using physical force against children,” in a statement last week.
The anti-smacking bill was fiercely opposed by Ms. Rankin and 82 percent of New Zealanders, but passed into law last year. The legislation removed from the Crimes Act the defense of “reasonable force” to correct a child.
Ms. Bradford accused the government of attempting to abolish the Families Commission, saying, it would be honest to do it directly rather than subvert it through political appointments.
The Families Commission was set up following the 2002 elections as part of an agreement between United Future Party and the Labor government. The Commission says it provides a voice for families and aims to establish a better understanding of family issues in New Zealand.
Appointment Prompts Resignation
Ms. Rankin’s appointment prompted the resignation of Druis Barrett, Maori adviser to the Families Commission. Ms. Barrett said she had been offended by remarks Ms. Rankin made in 2007 regarding child abuse within the Maori community.
Referring to the 2006 Kahui case, where twin baby boys were murdered and no arrest was made, Ms. Rankin said that “political correctness” was preventing open discussion.
“The real issues are being masked. Maori feature hugely in the child abuse statistics, yet this fact is something that we’re not allowed to talk about and when I’ve raised this issue before, I’ve been accused of being racist.”
“I’m not racist. I’m simply stating the facts. Are we honest enough to tell the truth?”
“Approximately 60 percent of child abuse is in Maori families yet they represent only 15 percent of the population,” she said in a press release at the time.
Rocky Career Path
Throughout her career, Ms. Rankin has maintained a high profile for her outspokenness on popular issues such as child abuse and the integrity of the family.
As former head of WINZ, one of the largest government departments at the time, her controversial managerial style drew much opposition from within the Labor government. Ms. Rankin came under fire for spending large amounts of taxpayers’ money on luxury conferences and rebranding WINZ.
She lost a $1.2 million employment grievance case in 2001, in which she claimed she had been unfairly and unreasonably treated. Her flamboyant style of dress was covered by media as much as the case itself.
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