🧵Little thread on how to effectively advocate for issues in Parliament
1. Email your MP. This will always generate a response.
2. Get your local buddies who share an MP to write to the same MP. Three emails on the same subject will always get attention.
3. Don’t write via snail mail…
1. Email your MP. This will always generate a response.
2. Get your local buddies who share an MP to write to the same MP. Three emails on the same subject will always get attention.
3. Don’t write via snail mail…
Comments
And asking for something (politely) from a minister too many times on twitter got me blocked, no other response.
MPs aren’t always going to agree with you, have the same priorities or do what you want, but I’d try to ensure you felt heard at least.
Ultimately the Greens helped me with my petition. Literally zero response from our Labour MP and the Health Minister fobbed me off to MOH who couid not help but at least gave a sympathetic and very human answer.
I’m assuming you’re writing to your electorate MP, here?
That’s my topic. That’s what gets me form letters and blockings.
Going in person to an unventilated room with unmasked staff to be figuratively patted on the head is pointless.
Social media, nope. Many MPs, let alone Ministers, have to not interact on social media for their own well being. It’s vile. Seriously.
I don’t understand being blocked for civilly asking relevant questions.
I’ve no idea why you might be blocked, don’t take it personally. Find another route.
If they want me disenfranchised, they get their wish. Not voting in the by election at all.
He's easier than he looks, and he looks pretty easy!
4. ALWAYS BE POLITE. Preferably don’t threaten to kill the MP or hurt their children.
5. I’m not joking about 4.
6. Do request a meeting, all MPs should have regular clinics where you can meet them...
8. Ask to present to the select committee in person as well as in writing. You can do this via Zoom.
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10. Make an event out of the petition being accepted…
10. Do NOT cc all MPs into your emails. They will likely be ignored.
11. Same goes for campaigns that bombard MPs inboxes with template emails…
At worst, the thoughtful, personalised emails will get swept up in the tide and left to languish ..
And before anyone gets all exercised about the auto divert folder thing - we are talking about campaigns that generate thousands and thousands of template emails. Nobody has the capacity to deal with this.
Seriously, a polite email that starts …
Consistently fobbed off by Jan Tinetti's staff over Tauranga issues.
Louise Upston will only respond if it suits her agenda.
Ian McKelvie was awesome, would respond and visit...will be much missed...
Regardless, your words would be a more appropriate response to an enquiry than the 'not interested' response from her staff - and she did have staff...
She could have taken Uffindell...
List MPs will have staff but nothing like what you need to run an electorate office. Doing it well is a LOT of work.
Why people were raising issues with the list MP...
List MPs get paid the same (pay is determined by the remunerations authority NOT MPs themselves)
Often they have an area of expertise so travel a lot. Ibrahim was a great example, supporting refugees and migrants across the motu.
Far easier to ignore email than it is to ignore physical mail (particularly at volume)
I was speaking about what actually worked for me and most of my parliamentary colleagues. The common thread between UK/AoNZ MPs is our humanity, and many genuinely want to help.
My constant refrain is to allow MPs to be compassionate and empathic, treating them like people is a start, because this is critical for any leader.
Respect differs from politeness now, doesn’t it!
Gotta dash, have a wonderful day/night.
My MP, Andrew Bayly, doesn’t even acknowledge my emails. Even when I put “from a constituent” in the subject line.
Maybe it’s just him. Maybe he’s especially a tosser.