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Resources

Tips on meeting with your Member of Parliament

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Your Member of Parliament is your main access point to the Canadian government. But many MPs are unaware of the issues that the Council of Canadians campaigns on, specifically the need for a National Water Policy.

There are many ways to reach your MP, including writing letters and delivering petitions, but this resource is designed specifically to help you meet face-to-face with your MP. Paying your MP a visit in honour of World Water Day, is an excellent way to get the Council’s message across about the need to protect Canada’s water.

Here are a few things you can do to make your meeting with your MP more successful.

What to do before the meeting:

• When you are booking the appointment, state that the purpose of the visit is to discuss water issues in Canada in conjunction with World Water Day.

• Take some time before the meeting to decide what specific questions or comments you would like to put forward. Streamline your arguments to two or three key points. Please read the Briefing Note included in this package, for some examples of key arguments you could put forward.

• Bring one or two other people with you to the meeting, preferably representatives from different sectors (such as environmental organizations or social justice groups). This will give your arguments more weight.

• Try and find out what your MP’s position is on a particular issue. Also look to see what policies or regulations already exist on the subject. If you can’t find that out beforehand, then ask when you get there. Please see the Water Issues Across Canada fact sheet included in this kit, to read more about the federal political parties’ positions on water.

• Bring resources such as relevant new articles, the Council of Canadians’ ACT for Canada’s Water brochure or other fact sheets. Visit our website at www.canadians.org/water, to find more background information to take with you.

What to do at the meeting:

• Ask your MP to do something specific, such as taking your concerns to the House of Commons, cabinet or caucus.

• Try to keep detailed notes during the meeting. This will be very useful for follow-up discussions. Try to record the specific wording that your MP uses, and keep this as a reference. This is the best way to keep your MP accountable to what he or she says in the meeting.

What to do after the meeting:

• Follow up with a letter thanking your MP for the visit and asking for an update on their position on a National Water Policy.

• For more in depth advice, see Communicating with your MP: A how to kit for the voluntary sector, a report prepared by the Voluntary Sector Roundtable.

For more information on what you can do to protect Canada’s water and demand a National Water Policy, visit www.canadians.org/water.

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updated February 26, 2008