Wellington — The Labour Party has voiced strong support for The Rainbow Support Collective’s call for mental health funding specifically designated for grassroots and peer-led community organizations. The party argues that current funding mechanisms are failing to adequately address the needs of rainbow youth, particularly those at risk.
Labour’s Rainbow spokesperson, Shanan Halbert, expressed concern over recent changes to the Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund, which has now restricted access for specialized services targeting rainbow communities. “The limitation imposed by Matt Doocey on accessing this fund will make it increasingly difficult for rainbow individuals, including at-risk youth, to access necessary mental health and addiction support,” Halbert stated.
Halbert criticized the current administration for neglecting one of Aotearoa’s most vulnerable groups. “The Minister of Mental Health should prioritize young rainbow people, who face some of our most alarming mental health challenges. However, the current approach continues a troubling pattern of neglect,” he added. “This failure is not isolated; it follows Minister of Education Erica Stanford’s removal of sexuality guidelines in schools and Minister of Police Mark Mitchell’s inadequate response to safety concerns within the rainbow community.”
Labour’s mental health spokesperson, Ingrid Leary, echoed these concerns, describing the Mental Health and Innovation Fund as ineffective. “Initially promised as a significant initiative to direct much-needed funds to community organizations, the fund’s $250,000 minimum contribution requirement has effectively excluded grassroots providers,” Leary said. “This fund, which was supposed to address pressing needs, has instead become a barrier to the very groups that are essential in supporting our rainbow youth.”
The Labour Party’s statements highlight ongoing frustrations with the government’s approach to mental health funding and underscore the need for a more inclusive strategy to support the rainbow community effectively.
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