Week One is Behind Us… Now What?
The 45th Parliament is now in session, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party, who once again formed government in a rare fourth term. This result marked a massive shift in Canada’s political landscape. But what does this political shift mean for your organization’s advocacy work?
The shortened spring session of Parliament means that Parliamentary Committees and Parliamentary Secretaries will not be formed until the fall session. Committees help ensure the rigorous study of legislation and allow for valuable stakeholder input to balance the goals of the proposed legislation with the impacts, both intentional and unintentional on Canadians across the country. Secretaries help act as a representative for Ministers in the Canadian government and help handle routine matters in the House of Commons, engage in committee work as non-voting members, and assume extra-parliamentary responsibilities. They are also incredibly important for stakeholder outreach as they may be able to help champion the issues important to your industry on your behalf to the Minister they work with. Missing these two key pieces of Canada’s parliamentary process will create challenges for advocacy and outreach making it especially important to target your message effectively to the right audience during spring and summer advocacy. It will also be important to prepare for committees and secretaries and the key messages that will be effective once the fall session of parliament begins.
First, it will be important to determine if your advocacy goals align with the new government. Reviewing the party platforms to see if your industry is included or not will help you determine if you need to adapt your messaging or if you need to up your advocacy game to make your presence known on Parliament Hill. Additionally, since your organization will be working with a minority parliament, it will also be important to determine where you may have allies in the opposition. The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, and NDP are all potential partners for the Liberal government to pass legislation making them all potential partners for your industries advocacy in the House of Commons. Being familiar with each of the party’s key policy goals and working in a non-partisan manner to find allies in parliament can help make your objectives a reality.
Second, is your organization active on social media? If the answer is no, now could be the time to consider how social media will help promote the issues critical to your industry, and spread your message to your members and decision makers in Ottawa. How can you combine data, graphics, videos and other social media tools to promote the issues important to your members and educate parliamentarians on the needs of your sector.
If you do have a social media presence, is it reaching your intended audience, and has it proven effective? Reviewing your social media presence, platforms you use, and interactions on your account can help you determine if your organization needs to get creative and find new ways of breaking through the noise on social media to stand out to key players in Ottawa or if its time to consider pivoting your message to more closely align with the direction of the Carney led Liberals.
So you’ve studied the political landscape, found potential allies in Parliament and sharpened your advocacy message to get the attention of Members of Parliament… now what?
Well, it’s time to get started. Getting started early with advocacy initiatives can make sure that you stand out. Got questions about where to begin or how to hone your approach for Parliamentarians? Our team is always here to help.
James Ball
Research Specialist