Time for action on suicide strategy

The Government must stop the rhetoric on developing a national suicide strategy and get down to business, says National's Health spokeswoman, Dr Lynda Scott.

New Zealand has the second highest suicide rate in the OECD for men and the fourth highest for women.

New suicide figures released today show the total number of suicides rose by almost 10% in 2001, the latest period for which statistics are available.

Dr Scott says National began work on the suicide strategy in 1998, but after four and a half years in government, Labour has failed to complete it. In fact, it will not be completed for at least another year.

"This is a serious issue for New Zealand. Young adults have the highest suicide rates and deserve more than platitudes - they deserve action.

"Suicide has been a major problem in this country for far too long", says Dr Scott.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>