Labour MP Megan Woods and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey have weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding funding for Gumboot Friday, following controversial comments by mental health advocate Mike King about alcohol use and mental health support.

King suggested that alcohol could be a solution for those struggling with mental health issues, prompting Labour to call for a review of Gumboot Friday’s funding.

Speaking to chrislynchmedia, Woods said, “What we know is that alcohol and young persons’ mental health are not good companions. There are some really negative outcomes for young people when they use alcohol as a crutch.”

Woods expressed concerns about political parties funding specific mental health providers based on campaign promises, rather than following a thorough vetting process to ensure quality and safety.

FULL INTERVIEW WITH WOODS AND DOOCEY TONIGHT ACROSS CHRIS LYNCH’S MEDIA CHANNELS 

“What really we’ve asked for is a review of that funding,” she said. “This is tricky ground where political parties start campaigning on funding a particular provider rather than finding out who is best to deliver that service. That was what happened—New Zealand First and the National Party campaigned on funding Gumboot Friday.

“By all means, political parties should advocate for youth mental health support, but actually coming up and saying who we’re going to buy it from gets into really tricky ground. It was always a political risk for the government, and now we need to make sure that young people are safe.”

When asked why young people should suffer due to King’s statements, Woods clarified, “It’s not about punishment, it’s about ensuring there’s a provider who serves young people well. This isn’t about punishing either young people or Mike King or his organisation. It’s about making sure we’ve got it right, rather than it being about a political pledge.”

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey, while disagreeing with King’s comments, defended Gumboot Friday’s work and the impact it has had.

“I came out pretty early yesterday and said I disagree with his comments at this time; clearly, alcohol is not a solution. However a contract is about results. Gumboot Friday counsellors deliver thousands of sessions to young Kiwis in mental distress, often within 48 hours of them reaching out.”

Doocey cited an Auditor-General report that praised the performance measures and outcomes of Gumboot Friday’s contract.

He contrasted this with Labour’s own mental health spending, noting, “During Megan’s time in government, the Auditor-General was very critical of the $1.9 billion mental health investment, saying there was no evaluation outcomes built in, and he didn’t know if taxpayers were getting value for money out of Labour’s investment.”

When asked if he had spoken with King following the comments, Doocey replied, “No, I haven’t spoken to him, nor do I intend to. The contract with Gumboot Friday, which is different from Mike King as an individual, is with the Ministry of Health. This is about backing local organisations with an available workforce outside the publicly constrained mental health system.”

Woods countered Doocey’s focus on contract metrics, saying, “What really concerns me about what we just heard from Matt is that he’s talking about value for money and contracts. What I’m concerned about is the safety of our young people. It’s nonsense, to be polite, to try and separate Mike King from the organisation. He is the face of it.”