Meeting you local Member of Parliament (MP) is the most powerful thing you can do to influence then. As the saying says, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and personal contact is always more powerful!

Follow this simple guide to make a difference today

Step 1

Find your MP's contact details on the APH website. There are similar pages for finding your state politicians - google is your friend!

Step 2

Phone or drop in to your MP’s office and make an appointment to meet with him or her. State what you want to discuss.

Or if email is your thing, here's a draft email you could use.

Haven't heard back? Then don't forget the Four P's - Persistence, Persistence, Persistence and Persistence!

Once you get an appointment, you may wish to organise a group of locals to attend or just go on your own.

Step 3

Hold the meeting. Yay, this is the best bit!!

Ask for a photo with the MP and post it to our Facebook Group after the meeting!

Step 4

Let us know how you go. Take 1 minute to tell us about your experience. This will help us follow up and track progress with your MP.

Remember: Always keep it friendly

Australian Parents for Climate Action seeks to achieve climate action by building long-term and constructive relationships with our leaders, not by shouting from the rooftops. So always be polite and respectful, and remember, most MP's are parents as well!

What to ask for?

AP4CA is running a campaign to put our Cost of Living Report in front of as many MP's as possible. We have five high level asks, which are also detailled in the Report:

1. Rebates for household clean energy technologies (solar, household batteries, heat pumps and EV’s)
2. Government fleet to be 100% EV’s
3. Gas-free households by 2030
4. 100% renewable energy by 2030
5. Make it fair for renters & lower income households

Are you meeting with a MP who thinks they're strong on climate? Then get ambitious, personalise it, and get into the detail. Ask for more and ask for it faster - it’s what is needed to ensure a safe climate for our kids! For example;

• Find out what rebates apply to you. Are they enough to make clean energy tech affordable?
• Do they offer interest-free loans or other payment schemes?
• What’s their plan for gas-free homes?
• What are they doing for renters?
• Are there enough EV chargers to support the switch? What about when you go on holiday? What if you have to park on the street?

Need more help?

You don’t need to do lots of research and be an expert, but a bit of preparation never hurts.

Firstly, check out our detailed meeting checklist.

Secondly, we held a dedicated training session, with special guest former MP Rob Oakeshott. Rob is a wealth of information so check out the recording!

And thirdly, in 2021 we hosted Sue Dwyer in a fantastic Meet Your MP training session. This session was more specific to the skills of holding the meeting itself. You can find Sue by starting the video at 8:44 and stopping at 48:00.