The National Party gifted one of its speaking spots in a Parliamentary debate on suicide today to the Labour MP Louisa Wall after her own party overlooked her.
Wall has told 1 NEWS this evening she was "surprised" she wasn't allocated a speech by her own party given she was heavily involved in producing the report - Zero Suicide Aotearoa, and she publicly thanked National's deputy leader Dr Shane Reti for giving her his speaking slot.
National's mental health spokesperson Matt Doocey told Parliament it was appalling Labour hadn't allowed Wall to speak given she'd done so much work on the report.
"What I think is absolutely disgusting is Labour blocked Louisa Wall from taking a call in this debate, Louisa Wall is a founding member of the cross-party Mental Health Group, she championed this report and worked hard on it."
Doocey said Wall called him earlier in the day to let him know she hadn't been allocated a speech by Labour and National felt that was simply unacceptable and moved to put it right.
"It's important that Louisa has a call in this debate," he said.
Minister Kiritapu Allan told media a range of Ministers with relevant portfolios were chosen to speak by Labour and that it is important the party puts its best foot forward.
Earlier this week Wall hit the headlines accusing China or harvesting the organs of political prisoners and using Uyghur Muslims as slave labour.
The Chinese Embassy responded calling the claims an "utter lie that some extreme anti-China forces have been concocting for years".
"These lies are utterly despicable and not worth refuting," the Embassy told 1 NEWS.
The Zero Suicide Aotearoa report agreed that all political parties will relentlessly pursue a future for Aotearoa New Zealand that is built on sustainable wellbeing and zero suicide.
SHARE ME