Proposals to allow suspected suicides to be reported is a very positive step, a suicide prevention advocate says.
Photo: Supplied / Wellington Free Ambulance
MPs have backed a significant change to the Coroners Act to allow a change in media reporting.
Parliament's Justice and Electoral Select Committee has reported back with its recommended changes to the Coroner's Act, with some key amendments.
In its report, the committee supported a proposal to allow journalists to describe a death as a "suspected suicide" before a coroner had released his or her finding.
However, despite requests from some submitters, MPs decided not to go further and abolish all restrictions on suicide reporting, saying it wanted to discourage copycat behaviour.
Committee chair Jacqui Dean said MPs needed to finely balance the rights of family members with the public interest.
"It was always at the forefront of our minds that we are dealing with the process around death and grieving and uncertainty.
"So the aim of the bill was to provide those things - certainty, clarity and timeliness - and it's our view that we've achieved that," she said.
The committee took the rise of social media into account when considering suicide reporting, she said.
"It's important that the legislation keeps pace with modern technologies in as much as we can, and social media is increasingly playing a part in the dissemination of information, and that was one of the issues that we very carefully considered."
Janette Walker, who has supported farmers who have been suicidal or depressed as part of her role as a rural advocate, said allowing media outlets to name a death as a suspected suicide was positive.
"I personally support the idea. The suicide rate in New Zealand is very, very high, and the topic needs to be discussed more openly - bearing in mind that the families need to be respected."
But Ms Walker said the Government needed to do more to help prevent suicide - and not just for farmers.
She said New Zealand's suicide rate was "shameful".
Labour spokesperson for justice Jacinda Ardern, who sits on the committee, said the party agreed with the changes around more open reporting of suspected suicide.
But she said overall, the bill had some major flaws, and Labour would not be supporting it.
An area of particular concern was a move to stop coroners from investigating the deaths of Defence Force staff who die in combat overseas, she said.
The amended bill will now proceed to its second reading in the House, where the recommended changes are bound to attract debate.