Nau mai, Haere mai,
CPAG invites you to the Sir Ian Hassall Memorial Lecture
Professor Papaarangi Reid
Tumuaki, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland
Visioning our ‘maunga teitei’ - dreaming of a time when it’s safe to be born a Māori child
Professor Papaarangi Reid (Te Rarawa) is a public health physician and research leader, demonstrating extraordinary leadership in developing the Māori health and research workforce.
Her appointment as Commissioner on the World Health Organization/UNICEF/ The Lancet Commission for maternal, infant and child health pays tribute to her outstanding contributions towards achieving health equity for Indigenous women and children.
Sir Ian Hassall, of Auckland, KNZM for services to the welfare of children
Dr Sir Ian Hassall, paediatrician, saw the vital need for protecting children’s health and legal rights and worked to establish the Child Abuse Prevention Society in 1977. He became the first Children’s Commissioner in 1989. The impact of his concern and advocacy has been profound and echoes down the decades.
‘Is the child safe now’ was his constant question and he fought difficult battles to advance children’s rights. In advocating for the repeal of Section 59 to protect our children from all forms of physical punishment and compulsory fencing of private swimming pools he weathered fierce opposition. He looked into the care of young people in residential care, use of punishment and restraint, the lack of an appeals process for children excluded from school, searching of children at school, resourcing of care and protection resource panels, children’s rights in custody and access disputes, and child witnesses in criminal trials.
Beyond his term he remained a staunch advocate and researcher making recommendations into care of children with disabilities, child death review, tobacco advertising, sudden infant death, immunisations and involved in numerous organisations related to children’s welfare. He also supported CPAG and encouraged and assisted our mahi at every turn.
