WELLINGTON (NEW ZEALAND)
Radio New Zealand - RNZ [Wellington, New Zealand]
September 15, 2025
The government has appointed an eight-person group to provide advice in the light of recommendations from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry.
The team will be led by Alana Ruakere, who currently heads Tui Ora, a Māori health and social service agency in Taranaki.
Other members of the group include:
- David Crichton, who suffered abuse and cultural disconnection in the care system and has worked previously on redress, survivor engagement and care reform, who contributes to the SAGE group on faith-based redress and Oranga Tamariki’s CPIU Steering Group.
- Valerie Tan, a clinical psychologist, academic and governance leader who founded the Asian Psychology Collective Aotearoa.
- Gary Williams, a tangata whaikaha survivor of abuse in care who has been a member of the Survivor Advisory Group of Experts to the Royal Commission, was on the Redress Design Group selection panel and is a member of the Survivor Experiences Board.
- Paul Gibson, who was a Commissioner for the Royal Commission of Inquiry and was New Zealand’s first Disability Rights Commissioner, has chaired the CRPD Monitoring Mechanism and NZ Disability Strategy working groups, and is past chief executive of Visable.
- Helen Leahy, a former chief executive of the South Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, who has served on ministerial panels including the Modernising Child, Youth & Family Expert Panel, Oranga Tamariki Māori Design Group, and Energy Hardship Expert Panel.
- Frances Tagaloa, a survivor of abuse in Catholic care, was the first survivor to testify in the Catholic Church hearing of the Royal Commission and served on its Survivor Advocacy Group of Experts.
- Linda Surtees, chief executive of Caring Families Aotearoa, who led the introduction of National Care Standards and advocacy to raise the age of care, having worked as a carer to over 100 tamariki and rangatahi, and contributed to multiple ministerial and strategic groups, including the Extraordinary Care Fund Panel, Financial Assistance Reform group, and National Care Strategy Reference Group
Minister in charge of the Crown’s response, Erica Stanford, in a statement, said the group had a range of experience, including as survivors and advocates.
She said they would provide her with independent advice on the Crown’s response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry, which reported back last July.
“This diverse range of perspectives and expertise will enable constructive discussions and advice on the monitoring, oversight and implementation of the Crown response. I am looking forward to working with them,” she said.
She also announced that Gary Williams had also been appointed as the newest member of the Survivor Experiences Board which is also co-chaired by Tagaloa.
Russell Palmer, Political Reporter