Dear Political Parties and candidates,

Help prevent suicide, it’ll take courage

As families who have lost loved ones to suicide, we know a bit about courage. We’ve had to ask ourselves difficult, uncomfortable questions.

We need you to have courage too. We need you to ask difficult questions about our mental health system. You’ll need the courage to put aside politics and do what is right for every Kiwi.

We write to ask you to support the YesWeCare.nz coalition’s six election pledges to ensure every Kiwi gets the care they need, when they need it:

• Set a suicide reduction target
• Hold a mental health inquiry
• Restore $2.3b in health funding
• Increase primary health, GP funding
• Commit to safe staffing
• Make every home healthy

(We shouldn’t even have to ask for the first pledge.)

Don’t let other families go through what we have

As politicians, you can make a real difference to Kiwis when they are most vulnerable. Like any mental health issue, there are three steps to getting help. You need to acknowledge we have a mental health crisis, provide us support and do something about it. Don’t get stuck at the first stage, have the courage to take every step. Suicide is preventable and good policy is key.

Taking no action leaves the responsibility on the bereaved, service-users and their families, and a stretched workforce. We’ve already got enough to deal with.

There is hope. We believe working with you collaboratively is an important part of our healing process.

Yours sincerely,

• Corinda Taylor, mother of Ross, 20
• Maria Dillon, mother of Harry, 18
• Patrice Harrex, mother of Brad, 25

On behalf of bereaved families in the YesWeCare.nz coalition.