Tips and Tools for Government Relations – Federal Election 2008 [2 - Oct - 08 @ 15:31]
Posted into: CAMIMH News
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Tips and Tools for Government Relations – Federal Election 2008
Things you can do to press for action on mental health and illness
The success of CAMIMH’s campaign depends on the support of our membership who has direct experience of the issues faced by Canadians living with mental health issues. Here are some important things you can do to help build support for action on mental health and illness.
1. Send a message to your candidates and spread the word!
Send a quick and easy e-mail message or handwritten note to the candidates in your riding as well as the party leaders. Messages from voters like you can have real influence on candidates and their parties. The more people who support our campaign, the greater the impact we will have. Encourage your friends, family and co-workers to get involved - there’s strength in numbers!
2. Ask the candidates where they stand
When the candidates or their representatives come to your door, or you meet them at campaign functions, use the opportunity to ask them whether they will support strong action on mental health and illness. To help you, we’ve prepared key issues and brief backgrounders outlining CAMIMH’s recommendations during this election.
3. Raise mental health and illness issues at "all candidates" meetings
All–candidates meetings are a great place to raise to raise issues with the candidates. Gather a group of interested friends or co-workers for moral support and head off – with copies of our backgrounders in hand.
Be sure to talk to the organizers of the all–candidates session either beforehand or at the meeting when you arrive, to find out how you can get a question put to the candidates. Some meetings have an open format, allowing questions from anyone attending. Others require written questions in advance. If your life has been directly affected by mental illness, you might briefly mention that when you speak to add a personal note to your question.
Usually the time just before and just after the meeting will provide good opportunities for chatting with the candidates about our issues. These interactions are usually brief, so try to make your message to the candidates brief and to the point (e.g. - Hi, I’m ___________. I hope I can count on your support for strong action to support increased funding for mental health research). Short and sweet is the best bet.
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