Oxfam Community
Organising for Change
Political Engagement:
A guide for Oxfam Supporters
There are two main reasons to
engage with a politician:
1. They are a key decisionmaker and can influence
government policy
2. They are a
representative of your
community who can
voice your concerns.
Parliamentarians play an
important role in highlighting the
humanitarian issues faced by
people around the world. They
can also be really good
advocates within their party by
speaking out about policies and
legislation that concern their
constituents.
How do you engage a politician?
The most effective way to engage a politician is to build an ongoing relationship with them.
Building a relationship is important because the more the politician sees you as an active
member of their community, the more they will listen to what you have to say. Getting the
balance right, however, is important. Politicians have many organisations, groups and
individuals approach them and you do not want to be seen to pester their office. Aim to
become a source of relevant information on issues about which you are passionate, and to
represent a part of their constituency.
Before you do anything, do some research to see what issues your representative is
interested in. This will influence the way you engage with them.
Informal advocacy
There are a number of ways to engage with your MP. Many of them are informal and can
form part of your general involvement in the community.
Oxfam Community
Organising for Change
Here are a few ideas for engaging your MP in an informal way:
• Invite your MP/Senator to your events – film nights, trivia nights, rallies, stalls.
• Include a photo of your local event in relevant correspondence.
• Attend events hosted by your MP/Senator and introduce yourself as a member of the local
Oxfam group – e.g. local community events, fetes and sausage sizzles.
Tip: Before you invite them to a meeting, check the sitting calendar. On sitting days your MP
will be in Canberra and unable to attend.
Social Media
Social media allows you to connect with your politicians in a short, informal way. It is quick,
timely and alerts an MP to issues immediately.
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Find your MP or Senator on Facebook or Twitter – keep an eye on them on social
media, and do some research to see if they are already engaged on issues of
interest to you, and whether they have already done something in relation to the
issue
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Use social media to call on your MP to take action on an issue or to thank them for
taking an action– remember that it is a short form of communication, so ensure keep
to your key point.
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Maintain your impartiality: everything online via an Oxfam branded page must reflect
Oxfam’s non-partisan position.
Calling a politician to create immediate change
MPs rely on communications with their office as one way of knowing the level of concern or
support an issue has in their electorate. It only takes a few phone calls for them to notice
new trends. All you need to do is leave a message.
Calling your MP is easy:
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Find the number for their electorate office here.
When the phone is answered, state your name Ask to leave a message for your local
member.
Explain why you are calling: “I am calling to ask that the MP not support the
legislation to ...”
Clearly state your message for the politician. “Please ask Ms Polly Tician to vote
against this legislation because…”
Thank them for passing on the message and hang up.
Done! This will raise the MPs awareness of the issue and that it matters to their
constituents
Tip: Calling works best if you don’t call too often. If you have left a message, why not get
your friends to leave a message as well? Or call your Senator if you have already called your
local MP.
Oxfam Community
Organising for Change
Writing to a politician
Politicians get a lot of letters from organisation’s wanting their attention and asking them to
do something, but they really want to hear from their local voters.
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Always be polite! This includes using their correct name and title.
Introduce yourself and your group
Make it clear your group is either:
o Made up of people who live in the electorate ; or
o Operates across a number of areas including the MP’s electorate
Tell them how you feel about the issue related to poverty you’re highlighting and
recount some of your own experiences if you like. They will pay more attention to a
personal letter than a form or template.
Be short and concise. Try to keep your letter to one or two pages.
Ask for action. Try to include an action that you would like your MP to take – e.g.
raise the issue with their parliamentary colleagues, or speak out on the issue.
Ask for a response. Include a sentence at the end that states you expect a response
e.g.: “we look forward to updating our group and community members on your
response at our next meeting”
Use your own words. There are letter templates which can be used as a guide to
help you get started but it’s important that you personalise your letter to make it
reflect the voice of your group.
Remember to include your contact details, so they know how to get back in touch
How to meet Your MP
When to seek a meeting
The best time to seek a meeting with your MP is when you have a specific ask for them
relating to a campaign.
Seeking a meeting
Sometimes half the battle is getting through the door!
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Check the parliamentary sitting calendar first – on sitting days your MP will be in
Canberra.
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Find your MP’s electorate office phone number and their email address.
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Send an email with a detailed outline of who you are and what you would like to talk
about.
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Follow it up with a phone call. You might have to do this more than once. Be
persistent but not overbearing – leave at least four days between calls.
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Don’t take it personally if you don’t hear back straight away, or if your request is
declined. Parliamentarians get lots of requests and can’t accommodate them all. Just
try again another time.
Getting ready for your meeting
Do some research!
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Start preparing for your meeting as soon as you put in your request – you don’t want
to be caught off guard if you get a quick response!
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Get to know Oxfam’s position on the issue you are going to be discussing. Don’t feel
you have to know everything. If you happen to get a question you can’t answer, tell
them you’ll get back to them (and remember to do so).
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Get to know the MP: find out who they are, which party they belong to, whether they
hold any other position in the party, look at their bio, first speech and other speeches
to parliament and elsewhere which may identify where your MP stands on issues that
Oxfam campaigns on. www.aph.gov.au will help you!
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Ask your Community Campaigner how many Oxfam supporters are in your
electorate. This will show the MP that you represent an important segment of the
community.
Prepare for the Meeting
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Speak with the political engagement team. The team will help you understand the
politician you are meeting with, and how to approach the conversation.
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Work out your approach with this particular politician – it may vary depending on who
you are meeting
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Let your community campaigner know that you have secured a meeting and they can
assist you with reports and campaign objectives and key asks Oxfam is making to
MPs
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Work out who in your group will attend the meeting – at least two but no more than
four people.
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Delegate out roles so that the meeting runs smoothly
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Know what you want- work out what you will discuss and what action you will ask
your MP to take. You’ll probably only have 20–30 minutes so be selective.
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Identify questions – those you want to ask and those you may be asked. Prepare a
brief document outlining who the politician is (bio), your key points and pertinent facts
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Identify someone to lead the meeting. This person will talk first and introduce the
group, keep an eye on the clock, and if you have a few things to discuss, move the
discussion on if you get stuck on one thing.
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Tip: Practice! It might seem silly, but role-playing in the group is a great way to settle any
nerves. Think about what your MP might ask and try to workshop responses.
During your meeting
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Explain that you are members of an Oxfam group, what that is.
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Tell them exactly what you want and give them compelling reasons to take action
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Demonstrate the electoral support for the issue
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Be polite. Even if you disagree remember you are asking them for something – would
you do something for someone who is rude to you?
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Remember Oxfam is a non-partisan organisation – we advocate and lobby a range of
decision-makers and politicians.
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Leave a lasting impact- regardless of how successful the meeting has been, take the
time to thank your MP for meeting with you. Ask for the business cards of any
advisers present at the meeting. Indicate that you appreciate their time and would be
happy to meet with them again at any state in the future.
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Snap a picture. Ask if they are comfortable having a photo with you, and whether you
can use this on social media after the meeting. Ask them if they would like a copy
emailed to them so they can use on social media themselves.
After your meeting
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Celebrate! You have made a huge contribution to Oxfam’s impact.
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Talk over how the meeting went with your group- discuss what worked, what didn’t
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Go over your notes, paying attention to any commitments or any action points you
need to assign or follow up with your Community Campaigner.
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Send your MP a follow up letter or email thanking them for the meeting and make
sure you include any commitments they have made and any answers to questions
you were unable to answer at the meeting.
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Make sure your MP honors their commitments. If you don’t hear anything within a
month, give their office a call or write to ask them whether they have taken the action
they committed to take. Persistence is key!
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Now that you have established a relationship with the MP – don’t forget them!
Continue to write, call and tweet, and invite them to events and meetings.
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Please let your Community Campaigner and the Political Engagement team
know about your meeting! They’d love to hear how it went, what your MP
committed to and to get a copy of any photos. This is vital to help us track our impact.
Oxfam Community
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Useful links:
How to address Senators and Members
List of Senators and Members
See relevant link below for parliament sitting dates for your state:
Parliament of Victoria
Parliament of Queensland
Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament of Northern Territory
Parliament of South Australia
Parliament of Western Australia
Parliament of Tasmania
Search for your MP online
Many MPs have their own websites, blogs and are on Facebook and Twitter.
See our handy guide, Get passionate about politics, to learn the basics.
Let the Political Engagement team know what you’re up to
Email your Community Campaigner with your plans and any feedback but also copy in
[email protected] to keep them in the loop!