Initially, you may need to determine who your local federal Member of Parliament (MP) or provincial representative is (MPP, MNA, MLA, or MHA depending on which province you are in). The person you need to meet with will be determined by the issue you face. In health care, it’s likely your provincial member. In that case, you can find your provincial representative in the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory or on the Internet.
Of all of the tools you may choose to use in support of your advocacy efforts, one of the most effective is an in-person meeting with a decision-maker (in the case of government, an elected representative or civil servant). There is really no substitute for sitting down face-to-face. When presented in a clear, compelling and consistent manner, your key messages can go a long way to building a good working relationship and achieving your ‘ask.’ But the real secret to success in advocacy is not giving up. So keep meeting and communicating with your MPP/MNA/MLA/MHA until you’ve achieved what you need.
