Isaiah
06-14-2013, 08:37 AM
Several weeks ago, I posted the following thread and separately sent my member of parliament the same letter without mentioning that I had posted it online:
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/370369/open-letter-to-the-conservative-party/
A few days after sending her the letter, I received a call from her wanting to discuss it. I was originally sending the letter more as a protest and expecting at most an automated reply from her constituency office. Instead, she personally called me to discuss the issue - presumably to open a dialogue rather than just shut me down with an impersonal email reply. We talked for about ten minutes during which she asked me to elaborate on my concerns and then addressed them, and she touched on how the CPC is moving forward to actually prevent these types of abuses in the future.
Unfortunately, in the days following our conversation, an Edmonton MP resigned from the conservative caucus citing the party's treatment of their elected MPs as 'trained seals' and it was revealed that the PMO has a secret million-dollar slush fund from which Duffy's fraudulent expenses were repaid. So as she attempts to put out one fire by calling a concerned constituent, the rest of her party runs around buck wild with jerry cans and matchbooks like a gang of arsonists hell-bent on burning down the House (of Commons).
The point of this post is to let fellow Beyonders know that contacting your elected representatives can work given the right set of variables and following certain guidelines:
1. The recipient of the letter (MP/MLA/Alderman) has to care. If they are simply in it for the money or power of politics, you're not getting a reply.
2. Use a formal tone while maintaining professionalism and courtesy throughout. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation give the impression of an educated voter. Take the extra few minutes to proofread and edit as required.
3. Address the letter personally to the individual you wish to contact. If unsure how to address an MP or MLA, google can help.
4 Avoid rants and stay on point. Develop an argument by beginning with your concern, then unpacking it with additional information and supporting points. Be emphatic as required, but do not overdo it as you will sound facetious and may not be taken seriously.
5. Conclude with a call-to-action. What are you asking for? Be concise in expressing what it is you are requesting at the end of your letter.
6. Cordially sign off with your name and include your riding or constituency so they are aware that you actually reside in the region that they have been elected to represent.
The call from my MP invigorated my belief in our political system. While I have not traditionally supported her party nor did I vote for her in the last federal election, her personally having called me will influence my vote as I would rather have someone in office who I know is listening to and addressing constituents' complaints.
We as a forum community are keyboard warriors who spend excessive amounts of time reading and typing online; dedicating some of that time to addressing our elected representatives for important issues could be a valuable investment that gets results.
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/370369/open-letter-to-the-conservative-party/
A few days after sending her the letter, I received a call from her wanting to discuss it. I was originally sending the letter more as a protest and expecting at most an automated reply from her constituency office. Instead, she personally called me to discuss the issue - presumably to open a dialogue rather than just shut me down with an impersonal email reply. We talked for about ten minutes during which she asked me to elaborate on my concerns and then addressed them, and she touched on how the CPC is moving forward to actually prevent these types of abuses in the future.
Unfortunately, in the days following our conversation, an Edmonton MP resigned from the conservative caucus citing the party's treatment of their elected MPs as 'trained seals' and it was revealed that the PMO has a secret million-dollar slush fund from which Duffy's fraudulent expenses were repaid. So as she attempts to put out one fire by calling a concerned constituent, the rest of her party runs around buck wild with jerry cans and matchbooks like a gang of arsonists hell-bent on burning down the House (of Commons).
The point of this post is to let fellow Beyonders know that contacting your elected representatives can work given the right set of variables and following certain guidelines:
1. The recipient of the letter (MP/MLA/Alderman) has to care. If they are simply in it for the money or power of politics, you're not getting a reply.
2. Use a formal tone while maintaining professionalism and courtesy throughout. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation give the impression of an educated voter. Take the extra few minutes to proofread and edit as required.
3. Address the letter personally to the individual you wish to contact. If unsure how to address an MP or MLA, google can help.
4 Avoid rants and stay on point. Develop an argument by beginning with your concern, then unpacking it with additional information and supporting points. Be emphatic as required, but do not overdo it as you will sound facetious and may not be taken seriously.
5. Conclude with a call-to-action. What are you asking for? Be concise in expressing what it is you are requesting at the end of your letter.
6. Cordially sign off with your name and include your riding or constituency so they are aware that you actually reside in the region that they have been elected to represent.
The call from my MP invigorated my belief in our political system. While I have not traditionally supported her party nor did I vote for her in the last federal election, her personally having called me will influence my vote as I would rather have someone in office who I know is listening to and addressing constituents' complaints.
We as a forum community are keyboard warriors who spend excessive amounts of time reading and typing online; dedicating some of that time to addressing our elected representatives for important issues could be a valuable investment that gets results.