Turner welcomes mental health funding

United Future health spokeswoman, Judy Turner, has welcomed the Budget announcement of a further $250 million over the next four years for mental health services.

“For too long, mental health was the orphan child of our health services and the Government is to be commended for continuing to provide the money called for in the Mental Health Commission’s blueprint,” she said.

“The additional funding should be another step towards bringing more District Health Boards up to the recommended blueprint funding levels, and the hope is that this will empower DHB's to address current workforce issues that see some unable to deliver services they are already funded for.

“We would also like to see services for children, youth and community care prioritised ,” said Mrs Turner.

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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>>