Influence change: Your guide to engaging with decision-makers
Why engaging with decision-makers is important for creating change
Engaging with decision-makers is a powerful way to drive real change in your community. Whether it’s at the local, state, or national level, your elected representatives are responsible for shaping the policies that affect everyday lives. By raising your concerns, sharing your ideas, and advocating for solutions, you can help influence their decisions and ensure the issues that matter to you and your community are heard and acted upon. Every conversation counts, and by engaging, you become an active part of the change you want to see.
The following toolkit aims to empower individuals like you to feel confident when engaging with your MPs and councillors.
Understanding local decision-makers.
Who can you approach about your concerns?
In Queensland, political decision-makers include:
Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected representatives in the Queensland Parliament who represent various electorates across the state. They debate and pass legislation. You can find your local member by searching for your electorate here Member List | Queensland Parliament
Queensland Cabinet Ministers are MPs appointed by the Premier to be responsible for specific government departments and portfolios. Animal welfare policy decisions typically sit with the Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, currently Mark Furner MP, Mark Furner MP (cabinet.qld.gov.au)
Each of these roles plays a crucial part in shaping and implementing policies and decisions affecting Queensland. While meeting with your local MP is most effective, MPs from other areas may also be open to meeting if they are particularly interested in the topic you wish to raise.
Ways to engage with decision-makers
To get your MP to listen, it's important to stand out. You can organise a meeting, have a phone call, send them a letter, or engage on social media. MPs receive many letters and emails, so personal meetings or phone calls usually make a bigger impact. You don't need to be an expert; showing up as a concerned member of their electorate is enough.
Have a meeting:
You can arrange a one-on-one meeting or go as part of a small group (3-6 people) to increase your chances of being heard but avoid overwhelming the MP with too many voices. Here are some steps to help you get the most out of your meeting:
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While you don’t need to be an expert, it’s important to research the issue you are concerned about before organising a meeting. This involves gathering facts, statistics, and personal stories that align with the issue to help make your case stronger. You should also research common counterarguments and prepare a response. We recommend creating a short briefing document with key points about your issue, why it concerns you, and what you would like the MP to do.
If attending as a group, choose people who can help tell a compelling story and show community support for your issue, and agree beforehand who is going to take the lead in speaking. If multiple people will speak, ensure everyone knows their assigned roles to enable a smooth discussion.
Before your meeting with an MP or councillor, we recommend getting to know them as individuals. Learn about their political party, their stance on your issue, any government or shadow roles they hold, and their values or concerns for their community. Research their public statements, parliamentary speeches, and causes they support.
You can also look into their interests outside of politics and their involvement in parliamentary committees or working groups. Also, determine whether they are in a safe or marginal seat (a voting margin over their closest rival of more than 5% is generally considered safe, while under 5% is generally considered marginal), as this can influence their priorities.
To gather this information, you can use tools like Google, social media, parliamentary records, and independent sites like "They Vote For You”. Gathering this information will give you important context and help you to find areas of commonality with the MP. It’s also a good idea to ensure you know how to pronounce their name. MPs usually bring staff to meetings, so be prepared for that as well.
By aligning your message with their past engagement or positions on similar issues, you can increase the chances of resonating with them and encouraging their support. Being both prepared and strategic in your approach makes your advocacy far more effective.
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To request a meeting, start with a friendly email. Make your request clear and concise about who you are, why you wish to meet, and what you want to discuss. Tailor the request to highlight why the issue matters to the MP and their constituents. If you haven’t heard back within 10 days, follow up with a phone call to the MP’s electorate office. Try to identify the Diary Manager who manages the MP’s schedule and follow up with a written request to this person.
Don’t be afraid to be persistent but always be respectful. MPs are busy people but they want to hear from local constituents. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time. Keep trying until you get a meeting or otherwise receive a definitive response.
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We recommend bringing the following items to your meeting:
A summary of key points to review before the meeting ends.
A brief (1-2 page) document with case studies, your request, and contact details to leave behind.
A camera or phone for taking a photo at the end of the meeting.
It’s best to give the MP any briefing materials at the end of the meeting to avoid distractions during your discussion. Bring three or four copies of your resources, including for any staff (advisers) present.
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Meetings are typically short (15-20 minutes), so ensure you are on time and prepared. During your meeting you should focus on one key issue. We suggest breaking the meeting down into four components:
Welcome and Introductions
Introduce yourselves and your roles within the community.
Thank the MP for making the time to meet with you
Mention a topic of interest to the MP based on your research.
Present Your Case
Clearly outline the issue and its importance to the community.
Share personal and community stories and propose a solution. Limit yourself to two or three case studies or personal stories that are relevant to the issue.
Specify what you want the MP to do—raise the issue in Parliament, discuss it with their party or the relevant Minister, or advocate locally.
Speak confidently in your own words. If you don’t know something, it’s okay to say so. The goal is to show you care, not to display extensive knowledge.
Engage in Discussion
Be open to learning new information, such as political challenges or support for your issue.
Pay attention to the MP's reactions and adjust your presentation accordingly. Dive deeper into topics they find interesting and avoid overexplaining areas where they show little interest.
Be sure to allow space for the MP to ask questions or give their own personal perspective
Address objections or questions as they arise.
Conclude and Confirm Commitments
Recap the key points and confirm any commitments made during the meeting.
Summarise action items for each participant, with timelines.
Ask for a contact person for follow-up and confirm when the MP will act on your request.
Hand over your briefing document (with contact details), express thanks to the MP and their staff, and request a photo.
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After your meeting, send a follow-up email within 48 hours to thank the MP and provide any promised information. In this email, also remind the MP of any commitments they made during the meeting and note any additional information they agreed to provide. Documenting these commitments helps ensure accountability.
Stick to the timelines discussed during the meeting and set reminders to follow up before deadlines. If you don't get a response within a week or by the agreed deadline, follow up again politely. Be patient, as MPs manage many issues, but persistent to ensure promised actions are taken.
You may also like to engage with the MP on social media. This can help develop your relationship and give you more influence. If you do not agree with your MP’s position on the issue you are discussing, don’t be afraid to express the reasons for why you disagree, but we still recommend maintaining a positive relationship with them to facilitate further discussion.
Have a phone call:
Having a phone call with an MP or councillor is similar to having a physical meeting. It’s important to follow the same steps as above. It’s very important to be prepared with a short introduction, your key points, and what you would like the decision-maker to do.
Send them a letter or email:
Letters and emails are a great way to start a discussion with your representative. Politicians do receive hundreds of letters, so it is important to keep your letter short, concise and respectful.
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Subject: Urgent action needed to end puppy farming in Queensland
Dear [MP’s Name],
I’m from [insert suburb]. I am writing to you regarding the urgent issue of puppy farming in Queensland. Puppy farming, the practice of breeding dogs in poor conditions for profit, poses significant welfare concerns and contributes to the suffering of countless animals. As an advocate for animal welfare, I urge you to support measures to end this cruel industry and improve animal protection laws in our state.
The conditions in many puppy farms are deplorable, with animals often kept in overcrowded and unsanitary environments. This not only causes physical and emotional distress to the animals but also results in health issues and behaviour problems that affect their well-being and quality of life.
I respectfully request that you:
Advocate for and support the introduction of stronger regulations and legislation to ban puppy farming in Queensland. This includes stricter licensing requirements, regular inspections, stopping the sale of puppies in pet shops.
Encourage the promotion of responsible breeding practices and support initiatives that educate the public about the consequences of puppy farming and the importance of adopting pets from shelters or reputable sources.
Ensure that existing animal welfare laws are effectively enforced and that funding and resources are allocated to investigate and shut down illegal puppy farms.
The people of Queensland, and indeed all Australians, value animal welfare and expect our leaders to take a stand against practices that cause harm to animals. Ending puppy farming is a crucial step towards ensuring a better future for our furry companions and aligning with the ethical standards we uphold as a community.
Thank you for considering my request. I am hopeful that with your support, we can make meaningful progress in addressing this important issue. I look forward to your response and am willing to provide further information or participate in discussions on this matter.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
Engage on social media:
Start engaging with decision-makers on Facebook, Instagram or X, by following them and interacting with their posts. Leaving comments and sharing posts with comments is a great way to start discussions, but please remember to be polite, as it will increase the likelihood of them replying. You can also tag them in your posts and use hashtags where appropriate to engage with a wider conversation about the issue.
Download the full guide
The toolkit includes key talking points that you might like to mention during your discussions with MPs during the Queensland election.