Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
Member of Parliament for Northland
19 AUGUST 2016
Economic Despair a Blight on Families
The appalling suicide rates in Northland have a number of origins and reasons, says Northland MP and New Zealand First
Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“However, a common factor is economic despair and a lack of job opportunities for so many families in which the young in
particular are the victims.
“A lack of economic engagement has been a common factor leading to drug and alcohol abuse and the social dislocation
that those practices generate.
“Until central government provides meaningful regional development and economic sustainability and support services this
appalling blight on families is likely to continue.
“We can try and put in all the support services we can but if we don’t deal with basic economic and social conditions,
such as regional investment in housing and sustainable employment, and adding value locally to the regions’ resources to
create jobs and wealth, then sadly New Zealand does not have a policy to deal with these growing problems.”
ENDS