Summarised by Centrist
“We’re good people, but no one’s heard our side.” That’s the plea from the couple at the centre of the so-called ‘reverse uplift’ case, which has fuelled the coalition government’s push to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.
In an interview with Te Ao with Moana, the couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, shared their frustration at being cast as villains in a story that’s been making headlines for years.
The couple took in their nieces and nephew after discovering that Oranga Tamariki had placed the children with non-Māori caregivers, despite the couple being available. They insist that the children were excited to come live with them, despite media coverage showing their distress during the move. “We were singing in the car with the kids right after,” the uncle said, contradicting the narrative of a traumatic ‘reverse uplift.’
The couple blames Oranga Tamariki for not contacting them sooner, which would have avoided the situation entirely. “If Oranga Tamariki did its job properly, this wouldn’t have been a reverse uplift,” they argued.
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has used this case as an example in her campaign to repeal section 7AA, calling for “colorblind state care” and criticising the current system for removing children from “safe, loving foster [homes]” due to the caregivers’ race.
