With one or two notable exceptions, the three main opposition parties have to date missed multiple golden opportunities to raise an issue that a very large number of ordinary kiwis are highly concerned about. You only have to raise your concerns about the state of mental health services at any community meeting anywhere in New Zealand to see the nods of agreement right around the room.
My own election to the Waikato DHB on a platform of speaking out about mental health issues didn’t seem to press any political issue recognition buttons for them. Apart from the now-retired former Greens health spokesperson Kevin Hague, few of them have made any running at all on the terrible state of our mental health services – and they’ve all been contacted multiple times by myself and others. To get the votes from a vulnerable Government, they first need to recognise the issue, and then have the gumption to continually highlight it.
Andrew Little tentatively dipped his toe in the water during the last week in an interview “in the general meetings I have, the community meetings, that’s the thing that comes up first. Mental health. I’ve started working it into my stump speech.” That’s a good start, and only two years since my family first wrote to him about the poor state of mental health services in this country. Let’s hope it’s not too Little, too late!
Dave Macpherson is TDB’s mental health blogger. He became a Waikato DHB member after his son died from mental health incompetence.
Everybody in NZ is suffering from mental health problems under the current Natzi Regime?
30 seconds on Google:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/83383719/labour-mp-calls-on-mental-health-services-to-do-more-for-those-in-need
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/89717437/former-mental-health-patient-turns-up-to-mps-office-with-nowhere-safe-to-go
http://www.labour.org.nz/kids_suffering_under_mental_health_strain
http://www.labour.org.nz/dhb_s_forced_to_make_tough_choices
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@health–science/2017/03/30/17370/auckland-mental-health-services-crumbling
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/turned-away-in-a-crisis
… and Dr Coleman does not believe there is a problem with Mental Health Services in NZ ?
Still reading from John Key’s political handbook, always putting a positive spin on things, or deny, deny, deny, just like housing and immigration?
We need a Government that focuses on reality and actually addresses problems.
… and Dr Coleman does not believe there is a problem with Mental Health Services in NZ ?
Still reading from John Key’s political handbook, always putting a positive spin on things, or deny, deny, deny, just like housing and immigration?
We need a Government that focuses on reality and actually addresses problems.
Proper mental health care costs money, and as we have heard, Little from Labour and Shaw from the Greens announced some time ago, they will not raise taxes and spend only wisely, similar to this government, I presume.
So when it comes to costs, and hard decisions, the opposition rather stays silent and non committal, as they do not want to appear to be making too many promises.
Beneficiaries know, this, have know it for years, that is why few beneficiaries still bother voting, they rather stay home than vote, as they think, what the hell have Labour ever offered us over the last 20 to 30 years?
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