How you can support the Campaign

One of the easiest ways to reach thousands of readers is to write a letter to the editor. A letter to the editor page in a newspaper gives readers a chance to voice their opinion, respond to recent articles and discuss current events.

Additionally, letters to the editor are important because they are carefully monitored by politicians who assume that each letter represents many other people who share the same view as the writer.

• Your letter should be no more than 150 words for the best chance of being published
• Personalise it by sharing your experience or someone close to you
• Ensure clarity on what you’re asking i.e asking the government to lower the cost of prescription medicines
• Include a broader statistic such as;
  • 19 million Australians will face an increased financial burden
  • Almost one million people in Australia impacted every day
  • Cost has doubled since 2000

To the Editor of The Brisbane Times: (if you know the editor's name, use that instead.)

I recently read that every day almost 1 million people delay a prescription due to cost. I’m sad to say my husband and I are two of those people. For the past 15 years I’ve lived with type 2 diabetes and take Metformin daily, and my husband takes medication for high blood pressure. Our family is far from wealthy, but we earn enough to get by. However, medications have a huge impact on our household budget and are getting more difficult to afford each year.

The pandemic’s been tough on our family, and the government has the ability to reduce the cost of prescription medicines, so why don’t they? I believe this is the most effective measure they could take to reduce the cost of living, which is spiraling out of control and impacting Aussie battlers like us.

When will the change come?

— Lisa S, Manly, QLD

Meeting your MP can be quite challenging due to their busy schedules, so you need to provide their personal assistant with a convincing reason, and then ensure you’re prepared to get the most out of your time with them.

Most MP offices will advise your meeting request to be delivered by email, fax, or letter. Keep it simple. Introduce yourself, the issue you’d like to discuss with them, and a few points of what you’d like them to consider. Provide your contact details and ask them to get back to you, and you can even follow this up with a phone call to confirm their office has received your request. If you haven’t received a response within 10 days, try calling again with a polite reminder.

• Know your MP - Their name, pronunciation, their views on certain issues.
• Know your issue - Ensure you have enough of an understanding of the affordable medicines issue to discuss it comfortably. Have your facts, stats, personal experience in note form if it sets you at ease.
• Know your desired outcome - Work out which action you’d like the MP to take after your meeting

• Bring a couple of people that care about this issue if you need support
• Make a good first impression - address them correctly, arrive on time, introduce yourself Give your MP a brief document with the issues and key points to ensure it remains front of mind
• Listen to the MP’s response. They may provide valuable insight into this issue Tell them exactly what you want out of the meeting. More affordable medicines for Australians
• Seek a commitment from them
• Remember to send a follow up email to thank them for their time

• Prepare some talking points. Your own experience, why more affordable medicines for Australians is important to you, the statistics, if this issue is on the MP’s radar.
• You may only have 2 to 5 minutes with the other person, so plan your call accordingly.

• Introduce yourself
• Explain why you’re calling
• Outline the solution
• Ask for their support

• Write down your notes and send a thank you email