The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has slammed the Minister of Health’s response to the Mental Health and Addictions Inquiry and the formation of a leadership group to formulate a response to the reports recommendations saying “you may as well still a family of foxes in the hen house and sit there and watch as they devour the whole thing.”

“A lot of New Zealanders had seen this inquiry as the answer – it is not. It never was. It was a Government throwing around trying to figure out what to do therefore outsourcing. To say the report won’t be released until the end of the year is a joke. So, in other words lets slip it through to the keeper over the Christmas period saying “don’t look over here – look over there.” Tukaki said

“But then to add insult to injury lets not only put the mastermind of doing nothing, Dr John Crawshaw, in as co-chair, lets just hand the keys to the DHB’s (in the majority) and say to the people who stuffed it up in the first place “here you go” – well no. Its not acceptable.” Tukaki said

“Need I remind people that the nation has been without a suicide prevention strategy since 2016 – Crawshaw led that. The failings of the mental health system are largely down to the DHBs and the service provider sector and for the Minister to say essentially no new responses will be made until late next year is a travesty.” Said Tukaki

“Minister if you can’t lead get out of the way and let someone else take charge because at the moment this is a travesty to the memory of the thousands of New Zealanders who have taken their lives and of the tens’ of thousands of New Zealanders who have been left behind.” Mr. Tukaki has said

Mr Tukaki, in his role as Chairman of the National Maori Authority has written to the Minister telling him blunting the organisations support is off the table.

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