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Mental Health

NZ Election 2020: Labour, National, ACT, NZ First, and the Green Party reveal their plans to deal with NZ's mental health problems

Ahead of the election, the main political parties have released their mental health policies.
Ahead of the election, the main political parties have released their mental health policies. Photo credit: File

A key policy of this year's election is mental health, with COVID-19 bringing the issue to the fore. 

The pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns imposed in New Zealand, have put a strain on mental health services, with more Kiwis' suffering from stress and uncertainty.

And ahead of the election, the main political parties have released their mental health policies.

Labour, National, ACT, NZ First and the Green Party are all vying for Kiwis votes in the upcoming election.

Here are their mental health policies.

Labour 

If re-elected Labour would continue to implement mental health reforms, increase funding, and focus on youth, addiction and support for new parents. 

Labour's mental health policy:

  • Continue to implement mental health reforms, which includes rolling out new and strengthened mental health and addiction services, training more qualified mental health workers and building new facilities.
  • Fully fund the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to enable it to provide an independent assessment of the Government's work in mental health.
  • Provide $4 million in funding over four years for existing rainbow youth mental health services.
  • Continue to train community-based mental health and addiction support workers.
  • Expand the Mana Ake Stronger Together programme throughout NZ over the next five years.
  • Increase the number of maternal respite beds. 
  • Undertake a stocktake of maternal mental health services around the country to develop a national pathway for access that is consistent wherever you are in New Zealand.
  •  Expand suicide prevention efforts and better respond to the needs of people bereaved by suicide.

Read more about Labour's mental health policy here. 

National

If elected, National would create a new ministry for mental health, strengthen frontline care and create a support fund for small businesses with mental health concerns. 

National's mental health policy: 

  • Establish New Zealand’s first Minister for Mental Health to drive our mental health strategy.
  • Strengthen our frontline with a primary care navigator in every General Practice.
  • Implement a 'national stepped care approach' for commissioning and delivering services to provide a joined-up and integrated network of mental health services.
  • Establish a $10 million mental health support package for small and medium businesses where mental health has been identified as a concern.
  • Fund life-saving mental wellbeing and suicide prevention workshops in our rural communities.
  • Commit to a nationwide 'Zero Suicides' comprehensive multi-sector suicide prevention strategy.
  • Invest in a $10 million contestable fund to establish free psychological first aid training.
  • Require schools to deliver skills-based mental health and resilience training program from years 1 to 13.
  • Fund a new, fit for purpose baseline study of children and young people to understand the context and conditions underpinning the mental health of New Zealand’s youth.
  • Provide short term COVID-19 relief by urgently funding 100,000 free counselling sessions.

Read more about National's mental health policy here.

ACT

ACT would create a new entity to fund and commission mental health and addiction services. 

ACT's mental health policy: 

  • Establish a new entity to fund and commission mental health and addiction services
  • Replace the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission with a new commission called Mental Health and Addiction NZ.
  • Redirect the $2 billion per year currently spent on mental health and addiction services through the Ministry of Health and district health boards to the commission.
  • The commission would not provide treatment itself but would contract out services to service providers. Any provider meeting strict criteria would be able to register with the commission. Those needing help would be able to choose a provider themselves to best suit their needs, unless they lacked the capacity to do so.
  • The commission would evaluate the services provided and monitor outcomes and quality of care. It would also help individuals and providers assess an individual’s level of need, and work with schools, GPs, Police and other government agencies to provide wrap-around care where needed.

Read more about ACT's mental health policy here. 

Green Party

The Green Party would expand free counselling for everyone under 25, increase funding for inpatient and community mental health services and improve postnatal mental health services. 

The Green Party's mental health policy:

  • Expand free counselling to everyone under 25, and work towards extending this to all adults.
  • Champion recognition of mental health as a community and country-wide responsibility, instead of placing the burden on people experiencing issues.
  • Fund inpatient and community mental health services at all levels to ensure everyone in Aotearoa can access help if they need it.
  • Improve postnatal mental health services so that no new parent needs to struggle.
  • Fund innovative initiatives that indicate high recovery rates with minimal medication.
  • Continue working through the Cross Parliamentary Mental Health and Addiction Wellbeing Group, to further destigmatise mental ill-health and ensure MPs are well educated to build consensus on the drivers of mental ill-health and policy solutions.

Read more about the Green Party's mental health policy here. 

NZ First 

NZ First would introduce more counselling for school children and fund a mental health charity for three years. 

NZ First's mental health policy include:

  • Increase counsellors at secondary schools by building on the recent pilot of access to counsellors for primary students and progress counsellor/student ratios at secondary schools.
  • Provide $10 million to the I Am Hope / Gumboot Friday fund over three years.
  • Expand access to counselling for all school-aged children and their families.

Read more about NZ First's mental health policy here.  

Where to find help and support: