Newshub can reveal Children's Minister Kelvin Davis has called in the Chief Social Worker to review a case of child uplifts after Oranga Tamariki failed to justify its actions.
Davis asked for the ministerial role knowing it would be a tough gig and he was right. Oranga Tamariki is under fire for uplifting pepi Māori and the calls for its CEO Grainne Moss to go are getting louder by the day.
On Thursday, Newsroom published an investigation into "reverse uplifts" - children taken from foster homes they'd been told would be their forever homes, and placed back with whānau.
The video is not allowed to be shown as it's subject to a court takedown order. The Crown argued it identified the tamariki involved. Newsroom is fighting to republish it.
When the minister watched it he was appalled.
"I thought it was heart-wrenching and so I asked Oranga Tamariki to come into my office for a 'please explain'," he said last week.
That meeting was deemed unsatisfactory so the minister requested a full written briefing.
Delivered on Thursday evening, Newshub understands it did not answer the minister's questions or concerns about the welfare of the children at the centre of the case.
So now Davis is using one of his last options - calling on the Chief Social Worker Grant Bennett to review the case and ensure proper processes were followed and the children are safe and happy.
Over the next 48 hours, the minister will work out the terms of the review.
It is a relatively big move for a minister to call on the Chief Social Worker to review a singular case. Ministers aren't supposed to, and generally do not, get involved in the day to day operations of their ministries.
