Now you are ready to have your say, here are some tips that may be of assistance[i]:
You don’t need to be a legal expert to contact a politician, however if you intend to write a detailed or lengthy submission on an Act, Regulation, Code or Policy, you may like to:
Research the relevant Government Department’s website. Government websites usually contain links to laws, policies, codes, reports, information sheets and other material which can help educate you about the issue you plan to write about. If you are not sure which website to visit, you may wish to start by consulting the table below.
Ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the plight of animals associated with the issue that you propose to write about. We suggest that you visit The Issues pages of our website, as well as visit our listing of other animal protection groups who are already working on many of these issues.
Be organised: Plan your letter or submission and think about what you are going to say before you start writing it. This will minimise the likelihood of stream-of–consciousness style submissions which can be difficult to follow.
Try to write your submission in ‘plain English’. This involves adopting a user-friendly, clear, concise writing style. Basic tips include omitting unnecessary words, using familiar words, short sentences and correct punctuation. [ii]
Arrange your submission or letter logically, with an introduction, explanation of key concerns and conclusion.
Be sure to highlight your key message, i.e. your overall position and your key concerns.
Consider including a paragraph that explains why you took the time to write about this issue. In other words, explain why the plight of animals matters to you. (You should note that your submission or letter may become a public document. We suggest that you contact the Department or MP concerned if you are concerned about your views being made public).
Set out each of your key concerns in separate paragraphs. Lengthy paragraphs can be avoided by ensuring that you make one point per paragraph.
Use different fonts or styles to highlight parts of your submission that you consider most important; however be careful not to go overboard with this as it may detract from the ‘seriousness’ of your document.
If you disagree with an aspect of a current law or policy, try to avoid simply stating that you disagree. In other words, try to explain the reason for your particular view. Your submission or letter may have more influence if you are able to cite references to substantiate your views.
Remember to be polite! This can be challenging when you feel passionately about an issue; however we recommend that you always avoid being threatening or insulting.
As a general rule, hand-written letters are preferred to emails. Many politicians do not have the capacity to respond to all the emails they receive, especially given the growth of spam mail.
If you are writing a lengthy submission:
consider using paragraph headings to make it easier to navigate your submission.
consider including a one page executive summary outlining your key points and objections
if you intend to include supporting information such as photographs, diagrams or other reference material, consider doing this by way of annexure to the main document.
To view a submission previously prepared by Voiceless, please follow this link.
We wish you the best of luck with your letter/submission. Thank you for being a voice for the voiceless.
Voiceless acknowledges that the points below have been primarily drawn from: Helen Ting, Writing A Submission: A guideline of how to write clear submissions to government agencies 2002 http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/finding_funds /
submissions/wrsubm.html
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