Ria Bond MP
List MP based in Invercargill
29 AUGUST 2017
Full Mental Health Inquiry Now Even More Urgent
The latest horrifying statistics on the rate of suicide in New Zealand makes a national inquiry into mental health
services even more urgent, says Ria Bond, the New Zealand First List MP based in Invercargill.
“We’ve been calling for this inquiry with others for some time now but incredibly the National government refuses to
listen and won’t even admit to there being a crisis.
“For the third year in a row, the rate of New Zealanders committing suicide has increased, with 606 people taking their
own life in the 2016-17 year, up from 579 and 564 in the last two years respectively.
“New Zealand already has the highest rate of youth suicide in the OECD.
“The National government has let funding for mental health slide and they’re now trying to patch it over. It’s too
little, they have failed New Zealanders.
“We need an inquiry into mental health immediately,” says Ms Bond.
ENDS