Ryan Bridge: Is the Mike King situation really a big deal?

You can't say you care about and want to hear from people with so-called 'lived experience' and then dismiss them when you don't like what they say. 

Everyone knows he doesn't have a PHD in mental health studies. Settle down, Sally. 

He looked to me to simply be riffing his opinion. So what? 

Props to the Mental Health Foundation and the Minister who've both handled their responses well. Giving kudos to Mike for his incredible work for Kiwi kids while also pointing out the fact there's research out there which doesn't support his view of the world. 

Is there really a big deal here outside of Labour trying to score a hit job 'cause they're pissed King bashed them at the last election? 

Also, what's worse for mental health in this country? Mike King going on a booze rant or Labour spending $1.8 billion on mental health and delivering not a single new acute mental health bed in five years? 

What's, to use terms they love, more 'dangerous' for our 'vulnerable Tamariki'? 

It's not Mike King, that's for sure. We can have all the experts, researchers, academics and politicians in the world writing essay after essay, at great expense, explaining our mental health problems - and it's fine that they do. 

But what they will never deliver is anything like the practical, grassroots, counselling sessions and awareness Mike King has for our kids. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mike King. You cannot have it both ways with Mike King.
You can't say you care about and want to hear
from people with so called lived experience and then dismiss
them when you don't like what they say. Everyone knows
he doesn't have a PhD in mental health studies. Settled
down sally, he looked to me to simply be riffing

(00:21):
his opinion. So what props to the Mental Health Foundation
and to the minister, who've both handled their responses pretty well.
I reckon giving kudos to Mike for his incredible work
with Kiwi kids while also pointing out the fact there's
research out there that doesn't support his worldview. Is there
really a big deal here outside of Labour trying to
score a hit job because they're pissed that King bashed

(00:43):
them at the last election. Also, what is really worse
for mental health in this country Mike King going on
a booze rant or Labor spending one point eight billion
dollars in delivering not a single new acute mental health
bed in five years? What's to use the terms that
they love more dangerous for our vulnerable youth and Tamadiki.

(01:06):
It's not Mike King that's for sure. We can have
all the experts and the researchers and the academics and
the politicians in the world writing essay after essay at
great expense explaining our mental health problems, and it's fine
that they do, but what they will never deliver is
anything like the practical, grassroots counseling sessions and awareness that

(01:28):
Mike King has for our kids for years. For more
from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to News
Talks at B from five am weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.