Our communications strategies facilitate consistent communication
between all stakeholders and open up friendly discussions on
developing working relationships.
The Case for Engaging Your Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
The question I always get during our lobbying engagements: is why do we need to meet our local MPP? Sometimes there is a strong argument that clients make on why they shouldn't engage their local MPP and “waste their time".
For example:
If you hold by the above arguments, note, government works on the basis of ‘political pressure’; and it doesn’t matter where this pressure comes from. Often MPPs from the other side of the aisle can have a close relationship with your Minister of interest, and decisions are made by government because “they are the right thing to do!”.
Some issues don’t fit in the government’s agenda, and therefore your MPP might not be initially successful advocating for your lobbying goals. That doesn’t mean he/she is not a strong MPP, it means you need to exert more political pressure on your issue. So in the second case, your instincts are counter to the strategy that needs to be deployed for you to advance your issues.
If your MPP is part of the governing party, politics and the importance of winning ridings plays a huge role in many governing decisions. Making sure that your MPP, who is in the governing party is briefed, and engaged will play an important role in your overall lobbying success. It doesn't matter if your MPP holds your portfolio of interest or holds either a different position or no position within the existing government.
Remember, winning ridings is the name of the game for all governments!
Here is a list of Current MPPs in Ontario with contact information:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.