Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says support given to slain sailor's family

Thursday, 6 June 2019

Jacinda Ardern spoke about former Marlborough man Alan Culverwell who was killed by pirates in Panama in May.

The Government is providing support to the family of a man killed by pirates in Panama last month, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Ardern spoke to the media about Marlborough man Alan Culverwell after delivering a post-Budget speech to the Chamber of Commerce at Blenheim's ASB Theatre on Thursday.

Culverwell died on May 2, aged 60, while defending his wife, Derryn, and their two 11-year-old children near Morodub island in Panama, a popular tourist area.

Culverwell was buried at sea in the Marlborough Sounds on May 29. A memorial service was held in his honour at the Marlborough Convention Centre, in Blenheim, on May 31.

Jacinda Ardern spoke about paua diver Alan Culverwell at a press conference on Thursday.

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The family's yacht, the Aqua Lobo, was still in Panama.

A not-for-profit organisation offered to 'respectfully' manage its relocation to New Zealand for free.

Arden said she had received 'some information some time ago' on Culverwell's death, but had 'nothing new to share'.

When asked what the Government was doing to ensure justice for Culverwell's family, Ardern said it was ensuring the family was provided support.

'Ultimately, though we rely on those jurisdictions and the justice system in those jurisdictions to respond, where we [the Government] come in is making sure that the support there that is needed, consular support, is provided,' she said.

Ardern was in Blenheim's ASB Theatre on Thursday to deliver a post-Budget speech.

Arden said while she couldn't comment on individual cases due to privacy reasons, it was often the case 'in these situations' that the Government provided a support link for families.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was aware of the case, she said.

A GoFundMe page for Culverwell's family had raised more than $29,000 from people all around the world.

Hundreds listen to Ardern talk about the Budget, released on May 30.

Three people have been arrested in relation to the attack. One, a teenager, has reportedly been given provisional detention for his involvement.

Ardern also answered questions on the Budget and her post-Budget speech at the press conference.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke about the Budget after addressing Blenheim's Chamber of Commerce.

Asked what the Budget would deliver for regions and local economies, Arden said the Government wanted to see 'more jobs and higher paying jobs' in Marlborough.

'In fact, we haven't just waited for this Budget to invest in things like venture capital, which we've done. We've also used the Provincial Growth Fund to invest in things like tourism and infrastructure upgrades,' Arden said.

This would 'make a difference' to tourism in Marlborough, in particular its rail and ferry services, she said.

'All of those should make a difference to the offering here and hopefully drive greater growth in the region as well.'

When asked how the central government could create a larger presence in Marlborough, the Prime Minister said there was an 'opportunity to grow local economies' by moving services that weren't required in Wellington out.

'We've successfully done that, for instance, with our forestry service being based in Rotorua [in the North Island], so we do have examples of that,' she said.

Arden also said at the press conference that there was a correlation between mental health and the economy.

'If you put it crudely, there is analysis now that shows that it [mental health issues] can lead to a reduction of roughly 5 per cent of GDP. Now that is significant,' she said.

A $1.9 billion boost to address New Zealand's mental health crisis was the centrepiece item in the Government's 'Wellbeing Budget', released on May 30.

The Budget promised to set up a new universal frontline mental health service, expected to help 325,000 people with mild to moderate mental health needs by 2024.

Arden said she thought there were 'two strong rationales' to invest in mental health services in New Zealand.

'Firstly, the loss of potential and the impact on families and communities with mental health issues, but also the impact on our economy,' Arden said.