Staffers in MPs’ offices have told us that emails and letters are taken very seriously – and counted! For everyone who takes the time to raise an issue with them, they know there are many more people who feel the same way. If they receive lots of correspondence on a particular issue, it will be discussed in policy meetings and can have an effect on decision-making.

No seats are safe seats! Politicians cannot afford to take votes for granted; they can and will be replaced if voters don’t feel represented. Politicians should therefore be keen to know the priorities of their electorate and to listen seriously to constituents’ views. 

So, post-election is a great time to contact your MP and let them know how you feel about climate change – and what you want them to do on your behalf. You can check your representative’s voting record here, and adapt your email based on this. 

Federal MP contact details:

• You can find/check their contact details here

Email example:

If you need some help getting started with your email, here is an example.

Please don’t copy it exactly - personalise it and tailor it to the person you are writing to.

This version is intended to be used at the federal level, but can be adapted to send to state or local politicians, and federal senators.

[MP name]

[Member for ….]

Dear …

I would firstly like to congratulate you on [winning/retaining] the seat of [xxxx].  

[personal statement - who you are, how you’re connected to the community, why you care about climate].  

According to pre- and post-poll surveys, a majority of Australians in every single federal electorate wanted stronger action on climate change. It was a major factor for me in deciding how to cast my vote, and your [strong/disappointing] climate policy certainly impacted your ranking on my ballot. 

[For Labor party members] While I was very pleased to see the Albanese Government make progress on renewables in the previous term, now that you have stronger representation it's the right time to step up on phasing out fossil fuels and stopping new mines and exports. 

[For other MPs: Add any other relevant details here]

Over these next few crucial years, as you make decisions that affect our future, I encourage you to listen to the world’s leading climate experts and push to implement their recommendations. In particular:

[Add, delete and personalise as you choose]

• Introduce bold 2035 emissions targets
• No new fossil fuel exploration, projects or infrastructure, and end public funding and subsidies for coal, oil and gas
• Legislate to implement the full suite of recommendations to strengthen the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act

I would love to arrange a time to meet with you in the coming weeks to discuss further how our community could benefit from a step up in our sustainable transition. I will be following along with interest as [you/your government] moves forward on climate policy.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely

Name

Address

Phone

(Note: your contact details are required if you want a reply)

The Senate