Greens promise mental health minister role

HAVING a minister of mental health would ensure the mental health crisis in New Zealand is addressed, Green Party mental health spokeswoman Chloe Swarbrick says.

At the weekend, Ms Swarbrick said it was now clear mental health should not be treated as a subset of the health portfolio and the party would commit to the new ministerial position.

Ms Swarbrick said with the Green Party in government, the party would also push district health boards to ensure everyone with acute or severe mental health needs received attention within three hours, and noone who needed treatment had to wait three weeks.

The Green Party also pledged to expand free counselling to everyone under 25, improve postnatal mental health services and further destigmatise mental health issues.