Mike King: A timeline of the ups and downs of mental health

December 2015 – King was appointed to the External Advisory Panel on Suicide Prevention to the Minister of Health to help develop the national Suicide Prevention Strategy.

May 2017 – King publicly leaves the panel, denouncing his proposed plan as “window dressing” and a “master class in butt-covering.” Prime Minister Bill English says he’s not surprised because King’s direct style probably didn’t suit the panel.

July 2017 – King addresses the New Zealand First conference in an election year, calling for an overhaul of mental health services in the country.

February 2019 – The King was named New Zealander of the Year.

April 2019 – King launches annual Gumboot Friday initiative through his charity Key to Life to raise money for children’s mental health.

June 2019 – Appointed by the King as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to mental health awareness and suicide prevention in the Queen’s Birthday Celebrations.

September 2019 – King attends the announcement of a new suicide prevention strategy by the Labor Party’s first coalitionapproving its new action plan.

September 2019 – King’s Gumboot fund suddenly runs out of funds after ‘surge in usage’raising concerns among advisers and calling for government help.

October 2019 – King claims the Ministry of Health did not cooperate. He criticizes officials for demanding that his charity stop collecting suicide notes in the name of research.

November 2019 – The head of ethics at the Ministry of Health is demanding the destruction of collected suicide notes, calling the “research” unethical and warning of serious privacy and security concerns.

November 2019 – King claims the Department of Health denied his request to top up “Gumboot Friday.” The Ministry of Health says it has never received such a request and emphasizes that proper procurement procedures must be followed. Then-Health Secretary David Clark suggests there was a “communication breakdown”.

May 2021 – The King sends an open letter to then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, stating: will return his New Zealand Order of Merit medal as “the system is broken and for our most vulnerable Kiwis and their families no one seems to be trying to fix it.”

June 2021 – King presents the medal to NZOM during a public display of protest in the forecourt of Parliament.

July 2021 – King claims that the Ministry of Health has again rejected the funding application. The ministry claims that the foundation did not submit the application on time. King denies this.

August 2021 – The Labor government is creating a dedicated $1.2 million one-off mental health innovation fund, half of which has been earmarked for the Gumboot Friday initiative. King posts his thanks on social media.

June 2022 – King tells The Platform that the financing is still “sitting intact in the bank.” He later tells BusinessDesk this is not true: the first tranche of $300,000 was spent on necessary research and analysis. The charity has not yet decided how to spend the remaining $300,000. The ministry said the funds could be used for organizational costs, but not for advisory services.

August 2022 – Business desk discovers health officials warned the minister of the “potential reputational risk” of funding innovation and raised concerns about the service.

November 2022 – King breaks down in tears during an interview on The Rock’s Morning Rumble, saying the mental health system is “screwed up and no one is doing anything about it.”

May 2023 – The Key to Life Charitable Trust officially changes its name to the I Am Hope Foundation.

October 2023 – National leader Christopher Luxon promises to fund Gumboot Friday in a seemingly spontaneous commitment during the Rock Breakfast show. NZ First is campaigning to give Gumboot Friday $10 million over three years for free counseling services for young people.

November 2023 – National-New Zealand Coalition Agreement is revealed and includes a pledge to “fund the Gumboot Friday/I Am Hope Charity up to $6 million annually.”

May 2024 – Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and New Zealand Leader Winston Peters announce ahead of the Budget, confirming $24 million injection for Gumboot Friday initiative within four years. Labor questions procurement process. King responds to ‘stupid shit throwers’.

July 2024 – reveals RNZ health officials had to invoke a special “opt-out” clause. to ensure that government funding for Gumboot Friday is in line with contracting rules.

October 2024 – Auditor general criticizes ‘unusual and inconsistent’ procurement process around government funding of Gumboot Friday.

October 2024 – In a radio interview, Mike King claims that alcohol is “not a problem” for mentally ill people and has prevented more suicides than it has caused. Supporter groups are criticizing the comments, with Labor calling for an immediate halt to funding for his charity. Luxon and Doocey deny these comments but defend the charity’s funding.

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