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Closing panel for the Māori public hearing

The panel will be made up of five representatives who will speak from different lived experiences. Some are survivors, and others have worked with survivors and in the State care system.  Panellists will listen to all evidence shared by witnesses across the two-week hearing. They will provide context to the lived experiences shared by survivors.  Panellists will explore what a transformed State care system could look like for Māori.

Paora Moyle (Ngāti Porou) is a survivor of both State and faith-based abuse and has 30 years’ experience as a social worker.  She was a lead claimant in the Waitangi Tribunal Oranga Tamariki inquiry. She is currently studying towards a doctorate in child trauma and State care.  Over many years, Paora has used her lived experience to support other survivor whānau. She was one of the authors of the 2021 Hāhā-uri, hāhā-tea – Māori Involvement in State Care 1950-1999 report.

Tupua Urlich (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) is a survivor, who was in State care from the age of five to 15. He uses his experience of the State care system to advocate for change, so rangatahi today do not have to experience what he did.

Gary Williams MNZM For more than 40 years, Gary has been influential in driving change for disabled people and Māori.  He is a proud trustee of Ngā Hau e Whā National Marae in Ōtautahi, and other NGOs.  Gary is a member of the Royal Commission’s Survivor Advisory Group of Experts.

Hera Clarke  (Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) has an extensive background as a social worker and counsellor.  She has experience in senior management with Ministry of Social Development, Oranga Tamariki and its predecessor Child Youth and Family.  Hera has led family and sexual violence programmes and been a social work lecturer at Unitech teaching family systems and te Tiriti o Waitangi.  She has held senior roles in the Anglican Church.

Denise Messiter is from Ngāti Pūkenga ki Waiau.  She has a background in Māori and indigenous peoples development and has worked alongside indigenous communities in South Africa and Australia to implement social and economic solutions that seek to reclaim their independence.  Denise is the general manager of Te Whāriki Mana Wāhine o Hauraki, supporting whānau who have lived experience of mahi tūkino - or domestic and sexual violence, and abuse in care - to design their healing pathways using tāngata whenua approaches that focus on restoring mana.  Denise has a background in counselling with a focus on sexual violence.

Facilitator – Professor Tracey McIntosh MNZM (Ngāi Tūhoe) is Professor of Indigenous Studies and Co-Head of Te Wānanga o Waipapa at the University of Auckland.  She has worked many years with incarcerated whānau, particularly with wāhine Māori, with a focus on addressing issues of poverty, inequality and social justice. She recognises the significance of working with those that have lived experiences of incarceration and marginalisation and acknowledges them as experts of their own condition.  Tracey is the Chief Science Advisor to the Ministry of Social Development and is a Commissioner at the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She has previously taught in the sociology and criminology programme at the University of Auckland.

18.03.2022 Maori Hearing Transcription EXPERT PANEL

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