Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Mike King announce a $24 million boost for Gumboot Friday. Video / Mark Mitchell
Mike King’s Gumboot Friday counselling service for young people will receive $24 million over four years as part of the Government’s upcoming Budget.
It will increase the service’s current contracted counsellor pool from 555 to about 855, which will help provide up to 160,000 free counselling sessions forpeople aged between 5 and 25 over the next four years.
King joined Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters for the announcement at Parliament today.
It honoured the promise made in the coalition agreement between National and NZ First to fund Gumboot Friday by $6m per year.
King said “every cent” of the funding would go directly to counsellors.
“Mike King is not putting one cent in his pocket. This is about the kids.”
King outlined how anxiety, depression and stress were common issues for young people.
He acknowledged historical concerns the Ministry of Health had had regarding Gumboot Friday, describing himself as “pretty hard to back” given his “love-him-or-hate-him profile”.
However, he was confident the service would be able to work well with the ministry.
“Let’s just say, I’ve grown up.”
Mike King's Gumboot Friday will get $24m over four years. Photo / Mark Mitchell
King said Gumboot Friday would be the “most transparent organisation out there”.
Doocey, the country’s first-ever Mental Health Minister, said Gumboot Friday was proven to connect young people with mental health practitioners, claiming for every $1 invested, it returned $5.70 in beneficial health outcomes.
He said today’s spending commitment aligned with the Government’s priorities to grow the mental health workforce and boost the focus on prevention and early intervention.
Peters, speaking in his capacity as party leader, said the Government wouldn’t be throwing money around “like an eight-armed octopus” - a regular criticism he made of the previous Labour Government.
He cited the $1.9 billion mental health package announced in 2019 when NZ First was in government with Labour.
In 2021, then Health Minister Andrew Little said he was “extraordinarily” frustrated at the slow pace of the package’s rollout after acute mental health units were running at capacity, and just five extra acute mental health beds had been added following the record spend.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
