Ken Burgin

How to ask your Member of Parliament for financial help or to change a policy…

Tourism and hospitality are reeling from fires, drought and the COVID-19 crisis – the effects on small business are catastrophic. That means a lot less employment, no-one investing in new equipment, and a lot less money in the economy. A recession is already here.

It’s time for much more government financial support for small business operators in Australia – on the scale of what was done after the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) in 2007-9. Through generous, and targeted government spending, Australia was one of the few countries in the world that managed to avoid most of the terrible consequences of that downturn.

It’s also time to write to your local member and request more action – the Australian government holds the purse strings. Government spending can help to revive business, but they need to hear from those affected. Too often business owners complain quietly to themselves but only act at an election.

You can find your Federal MP here, and they all have a link for emailing them directly.
State Government MPs are here: NSWVictoriaQueenslandSouth AustraliaWestern AustraliaTasmaniaACTNorthern Territory

Keep your message short and polite, and quote some real numbers and comparisons. This is the information that shows the reality of a downturn – here are some that you could easily gather:

  • Number of people employed this month (or week) compared to 12 months ago.
  • Number of hours you paid people for this week compared to 12 months ago.
  • Sales this week or month, or in December, compared to 12 months ago.
  • How much you paid your suppliers this month compared to 12 months ago.

Tone down the politics. You may have strong feelings about how climate change has been handled, or the actions of politicians. Keep those for a separate email. For now, make your tone factual and sober – you’re alerting your representative to what this is doing for you and your family, the people you employ and the whole area. These are her voters! Get busy…

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