The ‘Mother’s Matter’ campaign shows how urgently we need to address the shocking numbers of maternal suicide, National’s Social Investment spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The Mother’s Matter campaign is about bringing to light the challenges parents grapple with in the critical developmental years of a child’s life. The suggestions made by a range of speakers including Sir Peter Gluckman, Gemma McCaw and Dr Johan Morreau was greatly appreciated.

“If this Government is truly serious about improving the wellbeing of every child in New Zealand, then it must begin by investing in the early years where interventions can most significantly improve outcomes.

“At the last election National proposed a comprehensive suite of policies that would do just this. Our First Thousand Days package would see specific support tailored to individual children to help make sure they get the best start in life.

“Today we also heard heartbreaking stories of mothers who have suffered because they didn’t receive the support they needed after giving birth.

“My 3 Day Stay member’s bill would see all mothers receive a minimum of three days in a postnatal facility after the birth of their child. This is just a basic, but important, first step to improve the health of mums and children immediately after birth.

“Making sure children get the best start in life doesn’t just mean investing in them, but also in their parents.

“To begin making a difference the Government should adopt my 3 Day Stay bill which would have a big impact on the health of mums immediately after they’ve given birth.”