Listening to the details of Stephen Winter’s research and efforts regarding Monetary Redress programs both here and abroad made for an informative and inspiring lecture. The great depth he went into when explaining the purpose of Redress programs and his work within the field allowed for me to gain insight into how academia work can be transferred to a practical use. Redress programs seemed to constantly be attempting to juggle factors of financial, political, and moral significance. Winter noted that Monetary Redress programs were having to look at extremely personal and traumatic experiences with an administrative lens. This caused rifts within the field as victims of abuse had to go through an often times apathetic system in order to achieve reconciliation. Furthermore, having The Crown investigate Crown owned institutions and employees has led to bias against granting victim’s sufficient monetary consolation.
Winter outlined these points clearly and made it evident that the empathy and understanding needed to address victims applying for Monetary Redress was just as important as having an efficient, balanced, and objective system. His work both with and outside of the Redress program not only allowed for him to make informed criticisms but to also suggest ways of improvement. Two of the most notable with regards to the administrative side of the programs in New Zealand was for them to be more impartial and transparent. The knowledge that records of processed Redress programs were unavailable to the public as well as it being run by Ministries and not an independent party was somewhat shocking. It has left the program open to bias and created an uphill battle for abuse victims applying for Redress.
The suggestions Winter made for New Zealand Redress programs are aimed at improving the process and outcomes for everyone involved. By having an impartial perspective, Winter noted how groups outside of the government could contribute, such as Maori iwi’s being a feature of the support system for the large representation of Maori victims. However, despite all these suggestions being easily implemented and readily available, the Redress program has yet to implement changes. Winter’s disappointment at such a result was evident, yet it was clear that his passion and commitment towards the issues had not lessened. His position and work with the national Monetary Redress programs have allowed him to receive more opportunities in the field, including being funded to make a similar report on behalf of the Anglican Church.
By studying and teaching concepts of politics and philosophy at world renowned institutions such as Oxford University in a purely academic light, Winter was able to discover a field of expertise in which he could contribute greatly. Winter saw a gap in how victims were being approached and treated within Redress programs. He applied his skills and knowledge within academia in a highly practical and effective way. This lecture was very inspiring and provided a wealth of information which can be applied to student’s own career pathways in life.
