It’s inspiring to see the work our members do to raise awareness about suicide prevention at this time of year. With so many events, campaigns, and conversations taking place throughout the month of September, it's clear that the eyes of the nation are on suicide prevention. This heightened awareness is a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when we come together. Last week, 26 MPs attended our World Suicide Prevention Day Breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra, representing all corners of government. Both speeches from the Prime Minster and Opposition Leader talked to the importance of working together with the sector and the focus on social and economic determinants. Mr Dutton specifically spoke to the importance of funding continuity, which we know is a significant concern for our sector. These points will be valuable in going discussions with the government and will form a key part of our pre-election strategy around the need for greater transparency and accountability. These coming weeks are critical for suicide prevention. We have the chance to provide feedback to the National Suicide Prevention Office on the draft Advice on the National Suicide Prevention Strategy which was released last week. While we welcome the opportunity for consultation, we are concerned that the document has been framed as advice. We already had advice released in 2020, and it recommended the development of a National Strategy. We are urging the government to reconsider this approach and realign the document with its original intention – a framework with an implementation plan. Suicide Prevention Australia will be leading a sector submission to this consultation and are encouraging our members to submit their own as well. The NSPO is hosting a webinar this Thursday 19th at 10am AEST to discuss the draft Advice on the Strategy in more depth. I will be joining the panel alongside Dr Michael Gardner - Head of the NSPO, Susan Edgar – Chair, NSPO Lived Experience Partnership Group, and Dr Alan Woodward – Chair, NSPO Advisory Board. I hope to see many of you at the webinar as we discuss the path forward. Nieves |