Four major steps for a successful lobby visit

1. Choose a specific action you want your Parliamentarian to take and plan the visit. 

Get more information about the issue you care about, use QPLC action alerts and discussion papers or contact us about issues at the national level.  You don’t need to be an expert – the office wants to hear your story and how the legislation will affect voters like you.  Think of your various ‘hats’: Quaker,  care provider for elderly parents or children/grandchildren, local business owner/supporter, member of bushwalking group, etc.

2. Get in touch with your Parliamentarian/State Assembly/Local Councilperson or their staff.

And ask how to submit a visit request to the scheduler.

3. Go lobby using the Lobby Road Map.

a) Focus on building a relationship, not just the specific Ask.  Start by saying thank you for something, seek common values and listen.  This will allow you to gain more rapport with a Parliamentary office over time.  Keep in mind that during the course of their careers staffers are likely to work with several elected representatives, so building a good relationship is a worthwhile investment.
b) Make one Ask.  You only have a short meeting, so in order to be most effective with follow-up, try to focus the meeting on one issue and one Ask.  Members of your meeting can always schedule another meeting on a different topic if need be.

c) Speak from your experience.  Remember that you definitely don’t have to be an expert to be effective. All you have to do is speak from your experience and ask questions. Offices can access a range of facts, but what they can’t hear from anyone else is the heart of why the issue matters to their constituents.

d) Bring a fact sheet to leave behind, a one-page document which has your Ask written out, along with contact details for your group and useful information.

4. Follow up with the Parliamentary office and let QPLC know how things went.

 

The Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee gratefully acknowledges the Friends National Committee on Legislation Lobby 101 and Go Lobby!, upon which this Australian version is based.

National Quaker Peace & Legislation Committee – Lobbying Roadmap

Download the Lobby Roadmap Word Doc & fill in the details for each meeting, to help the meeting go smoothly and for record keeping.

 

Logistics

Name of Member of Parliament/Senator or other person you’re meeting with:________________________.  
Include useful background information, eg: what committees they serve on, academic background, pre-Parliamentary employment, how they’ve voted on related legislation, recent public statements. 
The Ask: What do you want the person to do? Meetings can be cut short, make the Ask early.

Date/Time:________________________.

Building/Room Number:________________________. 

Members of delegation and contact details:________________________.
Mobile phone numbers are useful if people get separated or if someone is running late.

 

Three key roles

Assign names for each of the roles listed below, and plan out what each person will say. 

Group Leader: __________________________ 

• Usually key point of contact for Office.
• Thanks Parliamentarian or staff for meeting.
• Introduces group as lobbying for the specific Ask.
• Gives brief summary of group
• Makes sure during the visit that the ‘Ask’ is repeated three times – if appropriate. First Ask should be early in case the meeting is shortened.

Note Taker: _____________________________________  

• Gets the names and contact information of everyone in the meeting who is not in your delegation 
• Takes notes and sends notes to delegation members
• Sends thank you follow up email to Parliamentary staff no later than 5pm the following day, and another email two weeks later.  Copy (cc) all of the other people in your group.

Storyteller: ___________________________________
If there is time, this person (usually not a subject expert) explains how this particular topic impacts them/their family/community/town. 

 

Outline of the meeting – Assign names

1. Thank you for meeting with us about the Ask (what you want the person to do): _____________ 
2. Very brief introduction about the organization/community.  _____________ Most likely a staff member has done a general web search about your group.  If you’re meeting someone in Government, it’s likely that a full meeting brief has been written for the Parliamentarian – another reason to have your website/Instagram/TikTok/Facebook page up to date. 
3. Individual introduction: All participants very briefly give their names and community connections 
4. The ‘Thank you’:________________________. If possible, briefly thank them/the office for an action which your group is happy about, especially if it’s someone not aligned with your organisation.
5. The ‘Ask’ (second time): _________________________.
6. Personal/Community Story to be made by the Storyteller): ______________________. If there is time, one person can include a very brief story about why they are coming to make the case.  How it matters to them, their community, their town, etc. This links the Ask to a real-world example of community/individual impact).
7. Answer Follow-up Questions from Parliamentarian/Staffer: _______________________. You aren’t expected to be an expert on the Ask or wider issues, such information can be provided in the follow up email.
8. Wrap Up to be made by: __________________.

A) Repeat the ‘Ask’ if it hasn’t yet been answered: “Would you/your boss be willing to ___________________?”
B) Ask when you can follow up: eg: “Given that the vote is taking place next Tuesday, could we follow up with you on Monday to seek if your boss has decided which way she’s voting, and if she’s willing to make a public statement?”
C) Thank the staffer and/or Parliamentarian for the decision/their time and consideration.
D) Make sure contact details are/have been exchanged.
E) If it seems like a good idea ask for a photo with a prop if possible, explain how it will be used (eg ‘We’ll put this on our social media, and share it will our networks’).

    9. Follow- up: Notetaker__________________. Email follow up note to staffers, include: thank you, any information requested by the office and the staffer’s contact details, cc other members of your delegation into the email. 

 

The Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee gratefully acknowledges the Friends National Committee on Legislation Lobby Road Map, upon which this Australian version is based.

National Quaker Peace & Legislation Committee – Six Key Lobby Tips

 

Tip #1: Be prepared

While you don’t have to be an expert on the specific issue and the Ask, do your homework.  Know the position of your elected representative, and the impacts of this position on the local community.  You may not have more than a few minutes, even if the meeting was scheduled for longer, so use your time wisely – a Roadmap is handy.

 

Tip #2: Be positive

Even if you disagree with your Parliamentarian/Assembly Representative/Local Council on most issues, odds are that you can find something your agree on.  Thank them for something you both support.  Building a long-term relationship with the office is a good investment.  Be polite and respectful to everyone in the office and around the table.  It’s not unusual for receptionists/front of house staff to move around as politicians come and go. Plus, they are usually well connected. If there are people who look very young or are introduced as junior members of the team, keep in mind that they usually have to report back to senior people and will, sometimes quickly, move up the ranks.

 

Tip #3: Don’t memorise – practice in advance, think of the meeting as a piece of chorography, don’t leave things to chance, have a game plan

Use dot points to make sure key points/figures aren’t forgotten – use a Road Map or something similar.  The office/elected representative wants to know why you are going to the trouble of meeting with them. You don’t need to be a subject matter expert, it’s your story that counts. Unsure how to answer a question? Take it on notice and send the information or response by 5pm on the same day if possible.

 

Tip #4: Use the buddy system, build a delegation

You are more likely to get a meeting with someone if you come with a delegation representing the diversity of your community.  Build a delegation that is as diverse in as many ways as possible.  Run through your introductions in advance so that even if the delegation looks the same (age, ethnicity, etc), the introductions are diverse.  For example, I’m Sue Smith from Smalltown in the northern part of NSW.  My partner and I have a small construction business which was pretty impacted by COVID. We have two children, one in public school and one in private, we’re also an NDIS family and just finished rebuilding our house from the 2021 floods.  I really want to thank you for taking the time to attend our flood recovery ceremony last year – it really mattered to everyone.  In four sentences the Parliamentarian knows that Sue Smith has several networks into a range of community/school and work groups who may well hear about her experience of this meeting.

 

Tip #5: Have a strong Ask

Having a concrete Ask is important.  Be specific.  ‘Will you/your boss make a public statement in support of signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition on Nuclear Weapons?’  If it relates to legislation, make sure that your Parliamentarian or their staff knows exactly which bill you are talking about.  If it relates to an action in a specific location, make sure that information is clearly conveyed.  Leave behind your contact details (including your website or other useful links). 

 

Tip #6: Follow up.  Then follow up again.

After you visit, send a thank you note to the member of staff or elected representative you met with, answer any questions. Think about how you can build a relationship with the office. If you use social media to amplify the visit, let the Office know where to find it online.

 

Ideas for the Ask:

Vote a certain way.  Make a public statement.  Talk with your colleagues.  Sponsor or co-sponsor a bill.  Call for an Inquiry.   Sign our petition.   Attend or speak at our event.  Visit our stricken location. Meet with our representatives. Make a statement in Parliament.

 

The Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee gratefully acknowledges the Friends National Committee on Legislation Lobby Road Map, upon which this Australian version is based.