Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has responded to mounting pressure to set a suicide reduction target, describing a 20 per cent reduction over the next decade as "reasonable".
Coleman's office previously rejected that target because of fears the Government would be held accountable if numbers didn't drop, according to documents obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act.
On TV3's The Nation this morning Coleman was asked if the target proposed by the mental health sector, which would save about 120 lives a year, was sensible.
It was reasonable and his party would look at the issue of suicide after the election, if re-elected, Coleman said.
"I think we do have to be aspirational about it. I've moved my thinking on a target. I think that sounds like a reasonable target, but what I have said is that after the election, if we're re-elected, we will look at this issue again.
