If you are one of the many people who have contacted your Federal Member of Parliament about cruel live animal exports, then you most likely have (well you should have!) received a letter in response. These letters can take many different forms depending on the MP, which party they belong to and whether they are using standard responses.
The next important step is to respond to this letter to keep this issue on the Government’s radar. We already know live animal exports are one of the top issues MPs receive correspondence about and we must maintain the momentum. Here is a helpful checklist to help you respond:
- Did you actually receive a letter in response? If not, follow up and ask for a response
- Does your letter contain myths such as “there is no refrigeration in the Middle East” or “Middle Eastern countries won’t accept chilled meat”? Write back and let them know this is simply incorrect. You can bust the myths here.
- Did you know asking a couple of specific questions in your letter will help you avoid the dreaded “standard response”? You could ask about animal welfare or about the jobs that are being lost in Australia.
- Always ask for a response to your letter
- Keep your correspondence concise and polite
- Send via the mail if you can, rather than email
Happy writing and thanks for all you do for the animals!
