A private Member’s Bill focused on mental health has been pulled from the ballot today, which will help fix a glaring oversight from this Labour Government, National’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention spokesperson Matt Doocey says.

“Today is a great day for giving Kiwis suffering from mental health issues a voice, with a Members Bill under my name pulled from the ballot, which will require the Government to add a mental health and wellbeing strategy in the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act.

“It was a huge mistake for a mental health strategy not to be included in the first place. Labour ignored calls from National, the Mental Health Foundation and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to add a strategy to the Pae Ora Act.

“Mental health has often been the poor cousin of physical health, so this bill is an important step in making sure that mental health is no longer relegated to the backrooms of Health NZ.

“According to the New Zealand Health survey for adults, in just six years there has been a 92 per cent increase in Kiwis reporting they have unmet mental health needs.

“New Zealanders are waiting longer to get access to mental health services, the sector is suffering from a workforce crisis and our most vulnerable Kiwis are the ones suffering.

“Mental health will not be invisible to a National government, and we will provide real leadership and change to the sector which it is clearly lacking.

“National has already announced our plans to set up a Mental Health Innovation Fund to help boost up community providers and NGOs who are making a difference to Kiwis in need, like Mike King’s Gumboot Friday.

“I look forward to cross-party support on this bill next Parliament. It would be wrong to ignore the importance that a mental health strategy would have for New Zealanders.”