When our ministers and members of Parliament feel they have something important to say or maybe want to divert media attention from something else, they love to oversell the story they are peddling.
However, enthusiasm is one thing. Portraying something in a way which is misleading, and can quickly be called out, is quite a different matter.
Minister for Children Karen Chhour, whose passion for her portfolio is never in doubt, burst into print on Wednesday to announce the first reduction of harm in state care residences in New Zealand history.
"I am grateful to be able to confirm the first ever reduction of harm within Youth Justice and Care and Protection residences, a 14% decrease since 2024," she said.
This showed the government’s focus and hard work was getting results, she said.
Her party leader David Seymour, answering oral questions in the House on behalf of the Prime Minister, even felt moved to spontaneously add to the oversell.
He said it was quite an achievement, and a poignant one in the wake of the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care which had "laid bare the history of brutality that has affected so many people and damaged them for life".
Inspiring stuff. The problem was, as was quickly pointed out by the Aroturuki Tamariki/Independent Children’s Monitor chief executive Arran Jones and Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad, the number of children and young people in residences who were harmed, at 115, was largely the same as in the previous year (118).
Further, overall, the number of children in state care being abused or neglected has increased and this was unacceptable, they said.
This had been revealed in the Safety of Children in Care data released in the Oranga Tamariki annual report last week.
In the 12 months to March 31 2025, 530 children in care experienced harm — an increase of 23 children on 2023-24.
The percentage used by Mrs Chhour appeared to come from one sentence in the annual report which said "for residential placements we have the first recorded decline in both children harmed and the number of findings, with a 14% decrease from 2024".
The attempt to sugarcoat ongoing scandalous treatment of children in the care of the state looked cynical and desperate from the government in a week when the controversial Redress System For Abuse In Care Bill had its first reading.
The Bill, if passed, would be contrary to the recommendations of the Royal Commission’s Report into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions which called for an independent redress system and one which was accessible to all survivors.
All is not lost
Saturday’s National Provincial Championship final in Christchurch might have prompted some to trot out the rugby cliches.
It was a game of two halves — Otago winning the first but not able to hold off the Canterbury side in the second.
Rugby was the winner on the day too, in a tense, fast-paced encounter, where in the end Otago, in its first appearance in an NPC final for two decades, was not able to fend off the relentless attack from Canterbury.
Disappointing as this no doubt was for Otago fans, it should not overshadow what has been a great season for rugby in Otago and Southland.
We should not forget, as we highlighted last week, the Highlanders, Matatū’s appearance in the Super Rugby Aupiki final, Southland’s brief but sweet capture of the Ranfurly Shield, Otago Spirits’ win in the Farah Palmer Cup, the thrilling rugby which saw North Otago win the Lochore Trophy, and of course Otago’s gutsy 38-36 win over Canterbury to become the fifth and final holder of the Ranfurly Shield this season.
Fans will be hoping the zing and zest which captivated them this year is not a one-year wonder.
Roll on 2026.
