Letters for Members of Parliament
HERE IS YOUR LETTER-WRITING TOOLKIT!
We need to send a clear and consistent message that we are not going to stop until our right to access natural health products is protected. This cannot be done with a single letter sent once. We need you to act weekly, or at least bi- weekly, by sending a letter (and calling or visiting your MP as well)!
But, before we get into the “how to’s” of letter-writing…
Canadians deserve congratulations!
It was an extremely successful first round of letters in NHPPA’s Pressure Your MP Campaign through the months of June, July, and August 2023. MPs spent their summer reading and responding to at least tens of thousands of your letters. Let’s get ready to double down and build on this summer’s incredible momentum.
Now, it’s time for another round of national letter writing! Use the information below as a guide to craft effective letters that educate your MP.
HOW TO WRITE TO YOUR MP
1. Become familiar with the issues threatening the natural health industry.
If you haven’t already reviewed our materials, we have a few options available to help you understand the issues:
1. a 10-minute video where Shawn Buckley summarizes the threats natural health products are currently facing in Canada
2. a 2-page summary that you can also print out and share with others called Natural Health Products Crisis Summary
3. the 36-page Discussion Paper on 2023 Health Canada Initiatives.
By utilizing the resources above, it will ensure you have a solid understanding of the issues, which will build your confidence to communicate with your MP!
2. Write multiple letters.
Commit to yourself, and schedule time in your calendar, to draft a letter weekly or biweekly, depending on your availability.
Because we are asking you to write multiple letters, you do not need to include every issue within a single letter. It is okay for many of the letters you draft to have a different focus because there are many ways Health Canada’s actions in restricting natural health products will impact you as an individual Canadian citizen. Using this strategy can also help keep you inspired to continue letter-writing in the months to come.
3. Personalize your letters.
We have provided form letters below, if you are unwilling or unable to draft a letter in your own words. However, if you have the capacity to write your own letter, in your own words, we strongly encourage you to do so. Personalized letters hold much more weight with our MPs.
Tell your MP what natural health products mean to you! You can include a connection or success story that you or a family member has had with natural health products. Personal stories are some of the most impactful communications we can share with our elected officials.
4. Strength your letter by adding our supportive materials.
Print out a copy of the Discussion Paper on 2023 Health Canada Initiatives. We suggest stapling your letter to this Discussion Paper at least once. You may also want to highlight passages in the Discussion Paper that are particularly meaningful to you, or write notes in the margins about sections in the Discussion Paper that most apply to you. The physical size and weight of sending in a 36-page Discussion Paper to your MP causes an impact, as will the understanding they’re sure to gain as a result.
With subsequent letters, you can print out a copy of our 2-page Natural Health Products Crisis Summary and affix that to your letter.
5. Look up your MP’s constituency address.
It is important to send a letter to your MP at both their House of Commons address and their Constituency Office. You can find their Constituency Office here:
House of Commons Current Members of Parliament.
6. Send your letters to multiple MPs.
You don’t have to stop at sending letters to your Member of Parliament. You can also mail your letter to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, the Standing Committee on Health, or even all 338 MPs, if you’re willing.
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE
Letter-writing is one of the most powerful ways to get our message across to our elected officials. We will not get anywhere with a single visit and a letter. We need everyone to keep up the pressure.
CHOOSE FROM THREE LETTERS DETAILING THE NHP REGULATION CRISIS
Level 1:
This is a letter that you draft yourself. We have compiled a guide to help you write an effective letter, and have also compiled a list of two dozen potential writing points that you can use as inspiration.
Level 2:
This letter is almost done for you. It is the same form letter as above, with a blank text box for you to add your own hand-written personal commentary. Your effort to draft personalized comments results in more impact on your MP.
Level 3:
This letter is completely done for you. All you need to do is add your MP’s name, sign and date the form letter. This requires the least time investment, but form letters also have the least impact at the MP’s office.
Level 1
Write Your Own Letter
PDF Download
Word Document
Level 2
Just Add Commentary
PDF Download
Word Document
Level 3
Sign and Date Only
PDF Download
Word Document
For letters to targeted bureaucrats, click here.
Don’t forget.. every time you take action you are part of the solution.
The idea is for your communications to make clear that you are passionate about the issue. So passionate that you are communicating on such a scale that our Members of Parliament have never experienced this before.
Write a series of letters, one or two weeks apart. Make it this season’s commitment!
“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s harder to make a difference.” – Tom Brokaw
You can make a difference. Write your MP today.