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Mental health could be election issue that influences voters

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Tue, 9 May 2017, 5:47am
(Photo / iStock)
(Photo / iStock)

Mental health could be election issue that influences voters

Author
Newstalk ZB staff,
Publish Date
Tue, 9 May 2017, 5:47am

Our politicians are being told mental health could well be an issue that influences voters at this year's election.

The message is coming from lobby group Action Station, the group behind the "People's Mental Health Report" released last month.

The group's presenting an open letter to Parliament this morning calling for its reform recommendations to be adopted.

The letter is calling on the Government to adopt four of the report's recommendations.

They include; an urgent increase in mental health funding, better independent oversight of the mental health system, an urgent inquiry into mental health services, and a national education programme to help people better understand mental health issues.

Co-director Marianne Elliott said mental health touches every family in the country so there's a desire from many for things to be done better.

"I would imagine that coming up with a clear plan and priority to provide better mental health services in New Zealand could be a vote winner, and more than that, it's the right thing to do."

Elliott said it's good the Government has responded, with its promise of extra mental health funding coming in this month's Budget.

This would come from an already announced $321 million social investment initiative.

But Elliott said the Government's announcements so far have still left her unclear on what it's planning to do to increase access to mental health services.

"It's not entirely clear what in that social investment package might be specifically directed to mental health, so we need to wait and see."

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