“UNPAC’s Helpful Election Primers”


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AFTER THE ELECTION —
MEETING WITH YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE:

Our work isn’t over after the election. In fact it’s just beginning. Meeting with your (new) MLA is a great way to get your issue out there and help create change. Even if you didn’t vote for him/her, an elected officials’ job is to represent all people in the constituency.

Remember that our government acts according to the values of the people they represent. It’s up to us to let them know what our values are and give government ideas on how to make life better for all citizens.

Remember:
  • Be polite
  • Be specific
  • Be clear
  1. Make an appointment

    Call up your elected representative and make an appointment to see him/her. Normally, MLAs are in their constituency offices on Fridays and more often when the Legislature is not sitting. MLAs like to know how many people are coming and what issues you are going to raise. This helps them prepare for the meeting. Remember to ask how long the meeting will be. They might also ask you this question. Usually an hour is a good length.

  2. Come prepared

    Be on time and be prepared. Consider going with several others to show that there is broad support for the issues. Plan ahead what you are going to say and take time to practice the meeting in advance. Have one person ask the first question and the second person a follow-up question on the same topic. Have someone act in the role of MLA while you are practicing so you can anticipate the kind of response you might get. If you have hand-outs, articles, or more information do bring copies along. Remember to raise issues that your MLA can do something about. (For example, talk about issues that fall under the provincial government, not the federal or municipal one.)

    A good outline for the meeting is:

    • Introduce yourself / yourselves.
    • State your concerns. Use statistics as well as personal stories. It’s best if at least one of you can speak very personally about how the issue affects your life.
    • Make your request. One or two specific requests are usually enough.
    • Give your MLA time to respond to your concerns.
    • Ask for a timeline as to when you can expect to hear back from him/her.
    • Ask him/her if there’s anything you can do to support them in resolving the issues.
    • Leave your name and contact information so he/she can get back to you.
    • Thank him/her for their time.
  3. Follow-up

    Send a follow-up letter within a week or two of your meeting. Remind your MLA of the key concerns raised and any promises he/she might have made. Identify any follow-up steps and timelines that he/she may have committed to. Ask for his/her commitment to resolving the issues and request a reply.


An Election Primer by UNPAC Manitoba, April 2007. For more information, contact (204) 772-7876 or project@unpac.ca or visit www.unpac.ca

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