30 MAY 2019

Value and outcomes must be measured to ensure taxpayers see value for the Government’s massive $823 million mental health spend announced in today’s Budget, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Mental health is incredibly complicated, and it’s foolish for politicians to assume they can fix issues like suicide simply by burning taxpayer cash. Public health systems overseas have a weak correlation between spending and outcomes. That is a major caution."

“Some people will absolutely benefit from Government-led services, but it is unclear how the Government will track this success, and whether it has the will to cut services if they prove ineffective. The worst case scenario would be the Government using continued failure of mental health services as a reason to throw even more money into the black hole.”

ENDS

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