Grant West was a victim of sexual abuse as a boy and has been spending the past month travelling New Zealand to collect signatures for a petition to ask for a Royal Commission over the handling of child sexual abuse cases.

"I'm 54 now and I'm living with this every day - I have nightmares at night, I have flashbacks," Mr West said.

It's estimated that one in three girls and one in six young boys experience some sort of unwanted sexual advance before their 16th birthday - and most don't report it.

In Australia, Mr West helped push for the establishment of a Royal Commission into child sex abuse, and campaigners say a New Zealand inquiry could be similar, as the same sort of abuse occurred here.

Mr West presented a petition to MPs yesterday signed by thousands, but the Government insists that the situation in New Zealand is under control, with different reporting procedures in place to address historic abuse.