Writing to your MP or Senator

As a citizen of this free country, you are entitled to express your concerns and issues to your local Member of Parliament, Senator, any representative of any level of government. It’s your right! So here are some tips to make sure your letter or email makes the impact that you desire.

  1. Correctly address the MP / Senator

    It can get complicated. See the whole gambit here or for Federal Members and Senators here.

    But in summary, for an MP, in formal correspondence:

    • Open with ‘Dear Ms Last Name’ (or ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, ‘Ms’, ‘Dr’ and so on).

    • Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

    For Senators, in formal correspondence:

    • Open with ‘Dear Senator Last Name’.

    • Conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’.

  2. Introduce yourself and your concerns - clearly and concisely!

    State who you are why you are writing up front. Make sure to mention that you’re a member of their electorate/state if this is the case, and any affiliations or community groups you are a part of that may share your concerns. For example, you might be part of a local church that is concerned about the treatment of refugees, or you might be involved in a youth activist group.

  3. Make it personal

    Be Slavery Free often provides pre-written form letters that you can use to add your voice on a certain issue, but nothing beats a personal and passionate letter. Use our pre-written letter for facts and figures, but don’t forget to add your personal touch and the reasons why it matters to you, and highlight why the MP/Senator should care also!

  4. Outline the action that you want from the MP / Senator

    It’s amazing sometimes that we might write thousands of words on an issue, and never get to what action we’d like the MP or Senator to take. Your local politician can’t do anything, if you’re not asking for anything. So tell them what you want.

  5. Be polite, include your details, and be persistent

    Nobody wants to respond to an angry rude letter. It’s ok to express your anger, but keep it polite. Don’t forget to let them know how they can reach you with a response, and follow up with a phone call if they haven’t responded within a reasonable timeframe (4 weeks).