Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell says he never meant to upset anyone by writing a column suggesting New Zealand should take a 'hard line' approach and suicide victims should not be glorified.
“If a child commits suicide, let us consider not celebrating their lives on our marae; perhaps bury them at the entrance of the cemetery so their deaths will be condemned by the people,” he writes in his column in the Rotorua Daily Post.
Suicide prevention groups are horrified by the article, but Mr Flavell says he was just trying to get people talking, to find a solution.
He says he formulated the controversial views after attending a concert run and organised by local youth in Kawerau.
The town has seen 10 youths commit suicide in the past 12 months, while two Rotorua teenagers committed the same act in the past three weeks.
Mr Flavell says these numbers are too high.
“I say we are at a point now where we say, ‘that is it, no more. No more suicides’.
“Perhaps we should make a very hard stand with this. If a child commits suicide, let us consider not celebrating their lives on our marae, perhaps bury them at the entrance of the cemetery so their deaths will be condemned by the people. In doing these things it demonstrates the depth of disgust the people have with this,” he says.
Te Ururoa Flavell says he's happy to meet with groups or families to discuss their ideas.
3 News / RadioLIVE