Federal Election Creates Opportunities

Federal Election Creates Opportunities

With the Federal election to be held later this year it is the ideal time to seek policy reforms from attentive politicians.

Tim Grau
Founding Director, Springboard Australia

It is going to be a very busy year for politicians, their staff, party campaigners, the media and voters with the Federal due later this year.

While politicians focus on their jobs and futures it provides ideal opportunities for organisations, interest groups and voters to put their concerns or cause before the more attentive ears of government and opposition.

A professional and well-developed lobbying strategy in the lead-up to an election campaign can deliver lasting and much needed policy changes and reform.

A strategic campaign undertaken prior to the 2001 Federal poll for one of Springboard Australia's clients delivered not only the requested election commitment, it resulted in the election promise being delivered in the first post-election Budget and the passage of significant legislative reform.

The key to a successful strategy is a coordinated, constructive and positive approach.

Politicians are used to and often immune to the big stick threatening approach. The "Do this or we will campaign and vote against you" approach might get you some initial media coverage, but is unlikely to get a positive hearing from politicians or their staff, much less deliver the reform you seek.

Individuals or organisations complaining to government about their plight are a daily, sometimes hourly, occurrence.

Like all of us they tend to respond defensively to criticism.

Individuals or organisations approaching politicians and their staff with positive constructive ideas strangely are a rarity.

Strangely, because more often than not at this point in the election cycle they elected officials are desperately seeking news ideas, initiatives to grab voters' attention and positions that differentiate them from their opponents.

Government Ministers are frustrated with the lack of, or staleness of, ideas from their bureaucracy. Opposition spokespersons, short of staff and resources, are crying out for innovative approaches and new ideas.

With politicians survival instincts acutely attuned this year, organisations that implement a well-targeted strategy of early constructive engagement with key decision-makers can have remarkable success in achieving lasting policy reform.