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Have You Talked to Your Local MP Lately?
The Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) has run a number of
successful campaigns to increase Federal government funding for medical
research. A key feature of these campaigns has been contact by individual
scientists with local MPs. The ASMR website contains a number of resources to
assist with this process including advice on how to make contact and a link to a
post-code based directory to help you identify who your local MP is.
http://www.asmr.org.au/Campaign/campaign.html.
The ASMR website also links to a briefing page to assist you to prepare for and
meet (or write) to your local MP.
http://www.asmr.org.au/general/GenBrief.pdf. They have given permission for
the information to be reproduced here. It can easily be adapted to any issue
that you want to put on the political agenda. For ideas on WISENET issues that
you could discuss see the article on potential WISENET campaign issues.
The ASMR Briefing Document – Political Advocacy
Meeting with politicians, key bureaucrats and policy makers is an important way for the ASMR to achieve its goal of “a stable and appropriate funding environment to maintain an internationally competitive health and medical research program in Australia”. The dialogue is not just about dollars. It is also about educating and informing our political leaders so they become motivated champions for our cause.
Have your messages
clear
• Know what you want and what your politician can do for you,
• Emphasize the value of health and medical research to the
community (wealth creation, jobs, economic opportunity and better health).
Be well prepared
• Background your politician (internet)
• Breadth of electorate (e.g. blue collar, marginal seat,
rural)
• Know the track record of the party in the area (e.g. Howard
government – Wills funding increases, Backing Australia’s Ability,
Intergenerational Report).
Provide background briefing material
• Case studies, H&M R Fact Sheet, ASMR flyer,
• Remember that this could be the basis for a speech in
Parliament,
• Use PLAIN English examples of health outcomes from YOUR OWN
research
Politicians are not receptive...
• in times of crisis
• during election campaigns
Talk to all sides of government and minor parties
• today’s opposition is tomorrow’s government
• today’s backbencher is tomorrow’s Cabinet Minister
DO
• Provide your business card
• Be enthusiastic
• Be factual (able to substantiate your claims)
• Appreciate demands on politicians (most can spare only 20 –
30 minutes)
• Follow up the meeting, keep the contact alive
• Use a bi-partisan approach
DON’T
• Use jargon
• Raise problems without solutions
• Ask too much
• Make representation too late for what you want to achieve
• Misstate the facts
• Target the wrong person
