How To Visit A Politician

Visiting a politician is one of the most powerful things you can do. It carries much more weight than signing a petition, sending a postcard or making a phone call or even sending a letter. It's not difficult to visit a Candidate/MP, yet very few people in Australia have done it. However to make your visit as successful as possible, here are some suggestions.

Before You Go

1. Know your politician. Make sure you know your Candidates/MP's name, party and electorate.

2. Know your issue. Make sure that before you go you are clear about key points you want to make and the action you would like the Candidate/MP to take (see Parliamentary Briefing Papers).

3. Know your objectives. Make candidates aware that their policy is unacceptable to the ordinary Australian person (see the Parliamentary Briefing Papers, particularly "Principles" and "Issues").

4. Organise your delegation. It is good to organise a group to visit a Candidate/MP. Others can give you confidence and might be able to think of additional points to raise. About three is an ideal number.

5. Make the appointment. Call the politician's local electorate office. Tell the office how many will be coming and what groups they are from. Half an hour is a normal meeting length.

Some General Hints for Lobbyists

During the Visit

1. Be neat and presentable. Politicians may react negatively to anyone dressed in a messy, radical or unkempt way. This may turn them against your cause, regardless of the worth of your ideas.

2. Be early. Make sure everyone in your delegation knows where the Politician's office is and ask them to meet outside 15 minutes early.

3. Be friendly, polite and patient and don't get side-tracked. Remember your outline and objectives and make sure you get to raise the issues you intended to raise. Find out Candidates/MPs' views on the issue - this is important.

4. Ask the Candidates/MPs what they would be prepared to do. It is important to draw a commitment from the Candidates/MPs that means you will have to get back in touch with them and vice-versa. Ask them what action they would be prepared to take, eg: make a public statement, talk to a minister, write a letter raising your concerns, ask a question in Parliament, raise the issue at a party meeting.

5. Thank them for the visit and leave some information. Regardless of the outcome, thank them again for the opportunity to meet with them and to air your concerns. Leave a copy of the information about your concerns.

After the Visit

1. Debrief.

Talk it over with your group.

2. Follow up.

Make sure the Candidate/MP honours any commitment to you. If you don't hear anything in a week or so, phone or write, and keep on it until it is resolved.

3. Communicate with your justice contact person who has organised your lobbying.

This is important so that the network knows who has been seen and the response being obtained. This feedback is essential for a successful strategic campaign.

4. Get ready for the next one.

Now that lobbying has been shown to be a lot easier than you first thought, remember that it gets easier every time you do it.