Health

Health is a supremely important part of society’s responsibility to its people. Being able to live a healthy life must be a right afforded to all people, and Labour recognizes and respects this right. All forms of health must be protected, including physical, emotional, and mental health. Those who have struggles with any of these must be given the help they deserve, and they must not be coerced into giving their hard earned money over to do this. To accomplish this, Labour will:

Ensure Access to Mental Health Services for all

Labour recognizes the importance of mental health services, especially various forms of therapy. Too many people are either afraid to seek out mental help or cannot afford it. This is a great tragedy, as mental health is just as important as physical health, and ignoring it can result in people harming themselves in unimaginable ways. This government, which Labour is a part of, increased funding for youth mental health access, re-established the mental health commission, and provided free counseling for under-25’s. These moves were a long way in bringing New Zealand mental healthcare up to a reasonable standard, but Labour of course wishes to go further. Labour pledges to seek raising free counseling to all under-35’s and providing a programme to allow those above 35 to have the ability to access this programme based on financial need.

Improve our Healthcare System

Labour will seek to invest more funding into our healthcare system to ensure that it has the best infrastructure to provide healthcare to those in need in New Zealand. We will also task our Minister of Health with possible reforms to ensure better coverage, shorter wait times, and an overall better system.

Act on the Zero Suicide Target

This government passed a motion which committed the New Zealand Parliament to aim for a zero-suicide target. This is something that Labour is immensely proud of, and is one of the many reasons Labour was happy to serve in this government. However, this was simply a motion. An important first step, but not far enough. Labour pledges to make strides towards this target. We will do this by first of all investing into our Mental Health services, but Labour will create a Suicide Reduction Act which will provide for statute to hold the government better to account for aiming to meet this target and create a commission to oversee this task.

Ensure access to contraceptives

Access to Contraception is absolutely a human right, and Labour reaffirms this. Labour will have its Health Minister create a list of contraceptives that New Zealanders should have access to, such as condoms, birth control, etc. Labour will seek to review subsidies given for these contraceptives and look to include them in healthcare so that New Zealanders can easily access them. Safe sex is something that Labour wishes to support, and ensuring access to contraception is an important step towards that.

Defend the right to abortion

Labour believes in a person’s right to an abortion of their own pregnancy. It is their body, and Labour will uphold that. Abortion has been legalized in this country recently, but some parties seek to undo this. Members of National and New Zealand First seek to uproot human rights, one by one, and the right to Abortion is not an exception. Labour stands firm its belief in defending this right.

Support HIV Research

Labour recognizes how important it is to looking at the problem of HIV and finding solutions to it for those who are afflicted with this disease. We also recognize that we must not scapegoat the origin of HIV onto groups of people or use outdated, incorrect information when working against it. Labour will increase government funds towards HIV research and ensure that it is used as effectively as possible.

Make Healthier Foods for Our Children

The minds of children are far too easy to manipulate for society to allow them to be the targets of marketing of harmful subjects. As such, Labour will seek to place a comprehensive ban on marketing unhealthy foods towards children. Furthermore, Labour will also seek to create a standard for healthier foods in general to help reduce obesity. If elected into government, a Labour Health Minister will seek to do this as soon as possible and create a proposal to be presented before Parliament.

Introduce a nationwide pill testing program

A life lost to overdose is a life society will never get back, and a life that can be saved. The stigma about drug users still remains present today, and within that a progressive and reasonable talk on saving lives is not possible. Labour has a plan to change this by introducing a nationwide program of pill testing at big events and music festivals, to allow those who choose to take these substances a chance to see what is truly in the pill they bought.

Treat Illicit drug use as a health issue, not a criminal issue

We will remove all fines, chargers and jail time for those who use illegal drugs.