Lend your voice
QCOSS’ 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission Advocacy Kit
January 2016
Page 12 / January 2016 / Lend your voice - advocacy kitAbout QCOSS
The Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) is the state-wide peak body for individuals and organisations working in the social and community service sector.
For more than 50 years, QCOSS has been a leading force for social change to build social and economic wellbeing for all. With almost 600 members, QCOSS supports a strong community service sector.
QCOSS, together with our members continues to play a crucial lobbying and advocacy role in a broad number of areas including:
sector capacity building and support
homelessness and housing issues
early intervention and prevention
cost of living pressures including low income energy concessions and improved consumer protections in the electricity, gas and water markets
energy efficiency support for culturally and linguistically diverse people
early childhood support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse peoples.
QCOSS is part of the national network of Councils of Social Service lending support and gaining essential insight to national and other state issues.
QCOSS is supported by the vice-regal patronage of HisExcellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC,Governor of Queensland.
Lend your voice and your organisation’s voice to this vision by joining QCOSS. To join visit the QCOSS website (www.QCOSS.org.au).
ISBN – 978-1-876025-79-3
© 2016 Queensland Council of Social Service Ltd. This publication is copyright. Non-profit groups have permission to reproduce part of this book as long as the original meaning is retained and proper credit is given to the Queensland Council of Social Service. All other persons and organisations wanting to reproduce material from this book should obtain permission from the publishers.
Table of contents
About QCOSS 2
Table of contents 3
Advocacy Kit 4
Summary of actions from QCOSS 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission 5
Community resilience 5
Regional Queensland focus 6
Cost of living 7
Housing and homelessness 7
Financial resilience 8
Meeting with your local Member of Parliament 9
Arrange a meeting 9
Be prepared 9
Key messages 9
Talk from the heart 9
Keep in mind the big picture 10
Suggested outline for your meeting 10
The power of personal stories 11
Writing to your local member 12
Keep it short 12
Use of salutation and address 12
Explain your organisation 12
Be positive 12
Establish yourself as a resource 12
Call for action 12
Sample letter or email requesting a meeting with a local Member of Parliament 13
Contacting your local media 14
Advocacy Kit
The Queensland Government’s state budget will be handed down in June 2016. Now is the time to call on the government to acknowledge the many issues surrounding poverty and disadvantage in Queensland and to address our shared concerns and call for action firmly on the agenda.
Based on our research, conversations with our members, and the current economic and political environment, QCOSS has delivered its 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission to the Queensland Government clearly outlining a number of actions the government will need to take in order to achieve long-term wellbeing for all Queenslanders, but particularly those experiencing poverty and disadvantage.
You can be part of the campaign for change by meeting with your local Member of State Parliament, or by contacting your local media outlets, to raise awareness about the issues that are important to you and your organisation and how the government can best respond as part of its budget deliberations.
We believe that the voices of our members – and the broader community services sector – are crucial in the pursuit of improving the lives of disadvantaged Queenslanders.
We invite members to participate and advocate for Queenslanders experiencing disadvantage by drawing attention to the issues raised in our 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission and encouraging the Queensland Government to commit to the actions presented in this paper.
Individual advocacy is important, but when we work together on a united issue we amplify each other’s voices.
As some people may not have met with their local member or contacted their local media previously, we have put together this simple guide to assist you.
We hope you will find this information helpful. If you have any further queries please contact us at or call 3004 6910.
Summary of actions from QCOSS 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission
QCOSS’ key messages to the Queensland Government ahead of the next state budget are:
We acknowledge the broad array of initiatives and programs announced in recent times aimed at improving the social and economic wellbeing for all, and reiterate how important it is that they remain person-centred.
By working together in true partnership we can build the resilience and strength of our communities, families and individuals.
QCOSS’ 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission to the Queensland Government calls on the government to invest in our most vulnerable, as well as the social services which support them, and to take every opportunity to eliminate poverty and disadvantage from our state.
QCOSS asks the Queensland Government to commit to the following 10 actions as part of the 2016/17 State Budget.
Community resilience
Resilient communities are better equipped to manage the impacts of social and economic change and recover more quickly from adverse events. Communities, governments, business and community organisations all have a role to play in building resilience.
Action:
Investigate options to provide affordable insurance for people on low incomes in disaster prone areas of Queensland. This could include government underwriting of home and contents insurance or facilitating the bulk purchase of insurance products.
Action:
Mandated data sharing between government departments and with community based organisations to support place based analysis and creative responses to intractable problems.
Regional Queensland focus
Three quarters of Queensland’s population live outside of Brisbane and almost one quarter live in regional and remote areas outside of South-East Queensland. Regional areas face unique cost of living challenges, with some experiencing higher housing and transport costs, limited or no access to public transport, and other areas experiencing difficulties as a result of higher levels of unemployment.
In many regional areas a single unemployed person and single-parent households who are unemployed or on Newstart Allowance would not have enough income to meet a basic standard of living.
Community based organisations in regional Queensland also experience significantly higher cost of service delivery due to staff hours and fuel costs associated with distances travelled to deliver services.
Action:
Accommodate the full cost of travel in all human services agreements for regional and remote Queensland.
Action:
Review the impact of insufficient public transport infrastructure on social and economic participation of people in regional Queensland.
Cost of living
The rising cost of living impacts all Queenslanders, particularly those experiencing poverty and disadvantage. Typically low-income households spend a higher proportion of their income on essentials such as rent, electricity, water and public transport. With these costs increasing at a faster rate than other goods and services, many low-income households are struggling with the basic cost of necessities.
Government plays a key role in alleviating cost of living pressures by offering a range of supports to those most in need.
Action:
Review level and targeting of concessions for people on low incomes in Queensland.
Action:
Establish a community based energy efficiency program aimed at reducing energy costs for customers most at risk of debt and disconnection.
Housing and homelessness
Shelter is a fundamental human right, and equitable access to secure and adequate housing is an important part of ensuring social inclusion. It is clear that people on low incomes struggle to access affordable housing, which affects many other facets of their lives.
Action:
As per the Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence’s decision to move to five year funding agreements, commit to five year funding agreements for housing and homelessness and include a provision for locally driven service level cooperation and collaborative initiatives.
Action:
Link social infrastructure to physical infrastructure spending, especially for social and affordable housing.
Financial resilience
Financial hardship and stress have wide ranging and serious impacts, not only on the individuals and households concerned but also communities and society as a whole. With increases in the cost of living many families are only just managing, and financial hardship can often be triggered by a single event such as an accident or illness, family circumstances, unemployment, natural disasters and financial downturns. Or longer term issues such as having no fixed address at which to receive mail.
Action:
Fund financial counselling for Queenslanders at risk of debt causing poverty.
Action:
Review the social and economic impact of State Penalties Enforcement Agency (SPER) policy and practices particularly in relation to people experiencing poverty and disadvantage.
Meeting with your local Member of Parliament
Arrange a meeting
Call your local member’s office or visit in person to request an interview. Ideally request 30 – 45 minutes for the meeting. Ask who will be at the meeting. Sometimes they will bring staff such as policy advisers and these people can become a contact for follow up.
Similarly, know who you will be bringing to the meeting and provide this information. Aim for your CEO, Director or Chair of the Board. Once the meeting has been arranged, write an email confirming all the details and providing a brief agenda or outline of the purpose of your meeting.
Consider teaming up with other community service providers in your area and meeting together with your local Member of Parliament. By doing this you may be able to strengthen your voice and provide a more holistic picture of the issues.
Be prepared
Prepare some background information on your particular issue if you can. Use QCOSS’ summary of actions from the 2016/17 Pre-Budget Submission as a starting point.
Provide a succinct one page summary if possible with your contact details for future reference. If you are asked a question and don’t have the answer, don’t worry. Offer to follow up after the meeting with the requested information.
Key messages
Before you meet, write down two or three stories you want to tell. Also note two or three key messages you want them to hear and remember. Be clear and focused about why you are meeting with them. Ask them for a commitment.
Talk from the heart
Politicians want to hear your experiences and the experiences of people you know. Facts and figures are useful but personal stories are powerful. Don’t be an expert in everything. If you can’t answer something simply say you’ll find out and get back to them.
Keep in mind the big picture
Try to focus on broader issues rather than one specific problem relevant only to your organisation. You will do more for the sector and Queenslanders in need if you help push the larger agenda of what is needed to address poverty and inequality in Queensland.
Suggested outline for your meeting
1. Reiterate the purpose of the visit.
2. State the problem and any recommendations or actions.
3. Discuss ways in which you can help, for example provide further information or put them in contact with QCOSS.
4. Follow up – write and phone thanking for the visit.
The power of personal stories
One of the most powerful ways to inform and educate the public and government about an issue is through a case study of someone’s real life story.
Media will often ask for individuals or families to tell their story. There are several things to consider if you choose to put someone forward, as often the storyteller is someone who has experienced or is experiencing great stress and difficulties in their life.
1. Where possible choose someone whose situation has improved or who has experienced some success or positive change in their circumstances.
2. Consider the broader impact on the storyteller once their story has gone public, particularly in rural or smaller communities where there is less privacy.
3. Where possible meet with the storyteller before they are interviewed to provide advice or support, go with them to the interview if possible.
4. If your storyteller doesn’t wish to be identified but is happy for their story to be told anonymously, ensure you protect their privacy and confidentiality when dealing with either the media or members of parliament, particularly in rural or smaller communities.
5. Always have the permission of the person or family before providing their contact details to the media outlet.
Personal stories can be powerful but remember your job is to mitigate further harm to your storyteller/s wherever possible. If at any point in the process you feel that the tone of the story or the intention of the journalist is doubtful, politely decline to participate any further. Not all media is good media.
Writing to your local member
Keep it short
A short letter or email, written succinctly, will have more impact than a long one outlining all issues in detail. Write only one or two pages. Be clear about what exactly the main issue is and draw attention to it at the beginning. Be focused. Remember that politicians receive many letters on any given day. It helps to communicate the most important information you can with the fewest words possible.
Use of salutation and address
Make sure that you use the correct salutation. Also ensure that the address and names are correct and are not misspelt. Ensure that your name and details are clear and bold.
Contact details for government departments/agencies are available at www.qld.gov.au/government/departments/ and individual members and government ministers at www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members.
Explain your organisation
In a brief paragraph explain your organisation’s key mission or role in the community. If you think it will help, refer to your membership and/or the extent to which the community uses your services.
Be positive
Encourage your candidate to take up this issue and help bring about the change required. Explain the benefits for the candidate and his/her electorate. Be clear on the issue and its importance.
Establish yourself as a resource