Advocating and Lobbying for Chronic Pain: What Can You Ask Your MP?

As someone who experiences chronic pain, you know firsthand how important it is to have support and understanding from your government representatives. But what can you ask your Member of Parliament (MP) to do to help advocate for those with chronic pain? Here are some suggestions:

Actions in Parliament:

  1. Actions relating to Bills: If there is a particular bill being considered by Parliament that could affect those with chronic pain, you can ask your MP to vote for or against it. If you are concerned about the potential consequences of the bill, you can also ask your MP to initiate a committee inquiry into the bill to give relevant experts, organizations, and people who will be affected by the bill the opportunity to raise their concerns in Parliament.

  2. Speeches: Your MP can offer to raise your issue in Parliament through a speech. However, it is important to note that simply speaking about your issue in Parliament is not likely to make a big impact. If your MP does make a speech about your issue, they will most likely send you a copy of the speech.

  3. Motions: Another possible action for your MP is to move a motion in Parliament. This means the MP will ask the House to agree to a certain statement or position on the issue. Motions can be useful in assessing the level of support or opposition to your issue and where each individual MP stands on it.

  4. Questions: Your MP can ask a question in Parliament for further information from the government on a particular issue, and in some cases, even about your particular situation.

Actions in the community:

  1. Attending events: You can ask your MP to attend a local event relating to APMA’s services, like a Pain Support Group or online Pain Talk, which may also help you to strengthen your relationship with them.

  2. Doing media: You can ask your MP to talk about your issue in the media or to issue a media release on the issue.

  3. Telling the electorate: You can ask your MP to include a story on your issue in their newsletter, which reaches tens of thousands of people.

  4. Providing donations: You may ask your MP to provide a donation or a prize for APMA fundraising efforts.

Remember, it’s important to think about what will be most effective and make the biggest impact when asking your MP to take action on your issue. By advocating and lobbying for chronic pain, you can help raise awareness and ensure that those with chronic pain receive the support and understanding they deserve.

Actions within political parties:

  1. Raising your issue with the portfolio holder: You can ask your MP to raise your issue with the relevant Minister, Shadow Minister, or portfolio holder, depending on whether they are in the government, opposition, or a minor party. This can be effective if other MPs are also raising the issue with the portfolio holder as it will show that there is widespread support for or concern about the issue in the community.

  2. Talking about your issue with colleagues: Your MP may offer to discuss your issue with their fellow MPs, which can be an effective way of raising awareness of the issue in Parliament.

  3. Raising the issue at a party meeting: You could ask your MP to raise your issue or concern at a local party meeting to help raise awareness of the issue within the party.

  4. Changing the party policy: If you are feeling bold, you could ask your MP to seek a change of their party’s policy or to secure an election commitment from their party.