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\nume who can make gt phone call oi \\IllC .1 letter eutt lobby ll" you. or \om orguntmtton. beltew In some cause or other, rcuil} belieu’ that in \UlllL‘ measure, great or small, this would be a better world it' your cause uet'e ttdxaneed, then by all means you ~llt‘tllil lobby, there are two reasons to lobby. lll’\l. because \ trtually eyery aspect of our laws, e\ery institution. every .tettytty l~ atteetetl by gmernment. \nd in Canada, gmernment responds to the wishes ot the people. This is true whether the government is that ol the Village 01 Somewhere, the Pro- \ mee ot Jtnypluee, or the country ol’ t .mndu. M times [l‘lh may not be apparent and at times it wem to take forever, but sooner or later the actions of our gtnerttments reflect the wishes of out people. Howewr, there is one big IF. legislation retleets what the people want ()NLY it you and enough others take the trouble to let your elected t'eptesentatiyes knon \\ hat you want. the second reason you, or your otgunization, should lobby is that if you don't. someone else will. Every concenable cauxe A same the whales. preserve neighborhood schools. conâ€" quet leukemia, promote arts â€" has ILx advocates. Competition for a place in the lc‘glslfllmf sun is ceaseless. Before going any further. let's del the lobbying. Lobbying is nothing more nor less than trying to persuade the member» vi a legislature. be it township council or the Government 01‘ t‘anada, to enact legislation lavontble to your cause, or on occasion, tlel‘ent or repeal legislation unl'avor» able to your cause, The legislation may set up a new program. change an existing one. guarantee certain rights. appropriate l‘untls, etc. Sometimes people won't lobby because they're afraid they don't know how. They are staunch suppor- lets ol‘ their cause. they recognize the importance of lobbying. and they knou it pays oil. Yet they hold back on the mistaken notion that lobbying is only lot experts. Like anything else. the more you know about how to lobby, the better you wlil be. But. again. if you can I] H & C April, May, June I987 make a phone call or write a letter, you can lobby. All you need to be an effective lobbyist are three things: I. A few basic facts 2. Belief in your cause 3. Common sense The most important single thing a lobbyist needs to know is his or her subject. What is the substance of the legislation you are proposing or opposing? Why is it so important? What will happen if it passes? What will happen if it does not pass? How much will it cost? Normally the place to get these facts is from within your organization. Usually, whoever asks you to get involved in lobbying, perhaps the chairman of a committee or the executive director of your organization, will provide these facts along with the call for action. It certainly helps to know the legislator or legislators you contact. What are their interests? What are their backgrounds? What is their record of support? Who is the chair of the committee that will consider your proposal? Who is the chief spokesman for the opposition? And. the good lobbyist knows hot-t the system works: what steps a proposed municipal ordinance or a federal bill goes through from introduction to enactment; which committees will consider the legislation. Facts alone are not enough. Without conviction, dedication to the cause. loyalty to the organization, and deter- mination to see the job through ho matter how long it takes, a lobbyist won't be very effective. Far better to say no than to agree to lobblt {PF something when your heart isn’t in it. The minimum principles you need to know are these: be brief; be clear; be accurate; be persuasive; be timellt. be persistent; be grateful. These common sense principles EDP” whether you're lobbying by telephone: #â€"