Canadian Members of Parliament receive thousands of messages from constituents, by letter, fax, and email each week. A well-written letter can draw attention to a problem or influence public policy. A poorly-written letter may cause offense, confuse the issue, or simply be ignored.
Here are a few tips for Christians who want to write effective letters to MPs.
BE BRIEF
How long should your letter be? Doug Cryer, director of public policy for EFC, suggests that one page should be enough. "Get to the point," says Cryer. "Long letters are more likely to be discarded."
Chris Derksen-Hiebert, a policy analyst in World Vision Canada's advocacy department, agrees. "Keep your letter to one side of a page if possible, saying what you need to say as briefly and clearly as you can."
BE CLEAR
You may be tempted to address several issues in a single letter, but you should focus on one thing at a time. "Avoid sending a letter that has four or five points about things that concern you," advises Derksen-Hiebert. "Say very clearly in the first sentence what the letter is about. Have a friend or a spouse read the letter to make sure you got your point across."
USE PERSONAL EXAMPLES
When you write about a specific policy, focus on how it affects you. Use personal examples that support your point. This makes your letter stand out, and makes it more memorable.
"A good anecdote or example is useful fodder for speeches," notes Wes McLeod, executive director of the Faith Political Interface Program with the Manning Centre for Building Democracy. McLeod is an ordained pastor who was on Parliament Hill for 13 years, working with MPs including Deborah Grey and Chuck Strahl.
"Thousands of names come into legislatures on petitions," says McLeod. "Letters tend to be treated differently. If there are good ideas in there, MPs will take those ideas forward to a committee meeting, or work them into speeches. If there is a specific example of the effect of how a policy has affected a person, that's helpful."
REACH THE RIGHT MP
Your own Member of Parliament may not be the best person to contact. If your concern is related to social policy, you may want to write to the Minister of Justice, or the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"Address the letter to that person or minister, and send a *copy* to your local Member of Parliament," suggests Derksen-Hiebert. "It's good for the main recipient to know that you have sent the letter to others, and it's good for local MPs to see what's being said by their constituents. I would always recommend that if you send a letter to the Prime Minister, that you also send a copy to your local MP."
BE POLITE AND RESPECTFUL
You may disagree with your MP, and you may express your position strongly, but be sure to do it in a respectful way.
"If you are writing about an action the government has taken, don't just be critical, advises Doug Cryer. "Your letter should respond with some kind of solution or alternative."
"Letters that are angry and disrespectful are less likely to be heard," says Derksen-Hiebert. "It's very appropriate that people express their concerns strongly, but the wording should not suggest that you're preaching or that you're angry at the person or at the government."
A letter filled with angry words and scripture references is likely to be received as hate mail. "At World Vision, we're clear in all our communication that we are writing as a Christian organization," says Derksen-Hiebert, "but we don't lace our letters with biblical references. I think you're more likely to be written off, and less likely to be heard. The government does not set policy with specific references to theology, though Christians might wish that it did. It's not going to help your cause to expect the government to base its policy on specific biblical references."
YOU GET POINTS FOR STYLE
Letters that are hand-written or signed by hand seem to be more effective than form letters and email.
"When you're responding to over 100 emails a day, you have to process through them very quickly, and they all look the same," says Doug Cryer. "With a letter, you have to grab the envelope, open and unfold it, and look at it. The simple process of handling the letter gives it more attention."
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
When you address your letter, remember to use the right honourific. It's proper to address the Prime Minister as "The Rt. Honourable" and start the letter with "Dear Prime Minister". Cabinet ministers and premiers should be addressed as "The Honourable" and their letters should begin with "Dear Mr. or Madame Minister." MLAs or MPs should be addressed as "Mr./Mrs./Ms. surname (MLA or MP).
ASK FOR A RESPONSE
Once you've made your point - clearly, strongly, and with respect - request an reply. Ask what will be done to address your concern, and close with "I look forward to your response." Be sure to sign your name and include your return address. Most MPs will respond to letters from their own constituents.
If you receive a response to your letter, write back to say thank you! It costs you nothing (no postage required) and it shows that you appreciate the attention that was paid to your letter.
"When MPs are thanked for response, or when constituents say thank you for a policy change, that's going to be very meaningful," says Wes McLeod. "If your MP is a Christian, it's also very meaningful if you write to say, 'I'm praying for you.'"
WHY IT MATTERS
Chris Derksen-Hiebert notes a recent example of government responding to constituents who wrote letters: "World Vision has been active in addressing the conflict in Northern Uganda, and we asked a number of our supporters to contact the government, urging the foreign affairs department to do something.
"Several hundred people wrote to the minister of foreign affairs, and the minister's office called to let us know that we had been heard. They clearly responded to our call and let us know what they were doing to address that issue."
THE LAST WORD
"When you write to the government, you don't have to put a stamp on your letter," notes Wes McLeod. "It's a public policy that was meant to encourage interaction between electors and their elected representatives. Use that avenue. Keep those letters coming!"
What's the best way to reach your Member of Parliament?1. AN ACTUAL MEETING
Face to face communication is best if you can arrange it. Call the local constituency office to set up a meeting with your MP.
2. TELEPHONE
If you can't meet in person, phone your MP. You may only be able to speak to an assistant or leave a phone message, but this type of contact is still more personal than a letter or email. The number is listed at the beginning of the Federal Blue Pages in your telephone directory, or you can call Reference Canada at 1-800-667-3355.
3. HAND-WRITTEN NOTE
It's not as personal as a meeting or phone call, but your MP will see that you took the time to write a personal message and sign the letter. Remember that you don't need postage to send a letter to your MP via Canada Post. You can find a list of MP addresses on the government of Canada Web site: http://www.parl.gc.ca/
4. EMAIL
Email is one of the easiest and most immediate ways to reach your MP. Even though it is less personal, most MPs pay attention to their email and keep track of the number of messages received this way.
5. PETITIONS
There are official petitions that are read in the house of commons, and others that are circulated on paper or by email. Petitions give some indication to MPs that people are concerned about a given issue.
by Sandy McMurray
readme@mac.com
(416) 743-1828
Sources:
Chris Derksen-Hiebert
policy analyst in World Vision Canada's advocacy department
(519) 699-5347 or (416) 275-0818 (cell)
Douglas Cryer
Director of Public Policy, EFC
(613) 233-9868 x 224
Wes McLeod
Executive Director of the Faith Political Interface Program
Manning Centre for Building Democracy
(403) 850-0898 (Calgary office)
mcleodwk@magma.ca