David Cunliffe Media Advisory
Contact Phone +64-9 827 3062
22 May 2000
The parents of Malcolm Beggs, who was murdered in 1999 by his flatmate, mental health patient Lachlan Jones, will
present a petition to Parliament on Tuesday 23 May and meet with Prime Minister Helen Clark.
The petition “calls upon the Government of New Zealand to instruct the Health Funding Authority to fully implement the
Mental Health Commission’s Blueprint for mental health services in New Zealand”.
The Beggs will be meeting at 1 pm with the Prime Minister, who wishes to talk with them about the Government’s plans for
supporting the implementation of the Mental Health Commission Blueprint.
The Beggs family will be available for a photo opportunity on the steps of Parliament at 12.30 pm. The petition will be
presented to the Table Office at 12.45 pm, before the Beggs meet the Prime Minister.
Mr and Mrs Beggs are constituents of the Labour MP for Titirangi, David Cunliffe, who helped to arrange the meeting with
the Prime Minister.
“I am fully supportive of the efforts of the Beggs family to call for the implementation of the Mental Health blueprint.
They have paid an unacceptably heavy price for deficiencies in the New Zealand mental health system of the 1990’s”,
David Cunliffe said today.
ENDS.
For further information, contact Patrick Hine, Electorate Agent, (09) 827 3062.