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Contacting your local MP

Your local federal member of parliament works for you. 

And one of the things local members do is listen to what is on the minds of their constituents. You can either email or write to them, or make an appointment at the electorate office to talk to them face to face.

Your local MP has an extraordinary ability to advocate for you, and by extension for migraine, but they can't do that until you tell them what you want them to advocate for. 

Firstly, you need to find out who your local MP is. The fastest way is to go to this page and pop your postcode in the search box towards the bottom of the page. That will bring back your local MP, plus your state’s Senators. Look for the green photo.

If by chance you happen to be in a postcode that is in more than one electorate, you can look yourself up on the AEC website’s ‘Check my enrolment’ service https://check.aec.gov.au/. Put your details in, and (most of the time) it will tell you what electorate you are in. Then go back to the Contacting Senators and Members page of the parliament website, and pop in the electorate name rather than the postcode.

On your MP’s profile page on the parliament website, there should be office contact details on the first tab. Most will have a ‘connect’ tab, which will have links to websites, social media, and their email address. Some are annoying and don’t put the information in, but you can also google them to see if a website or Facebook page pops up.

Meeting in person is very powerful. If you have friends in the area with migraine you can even go together as a show of force. All you need to do is look up the electorate office, call, make an appointment, go and tell your story. Don't just show up - always make an appointment so you know they will be there.

If you want to send an email, make it *personal* but direct. (You can also send a letter in the mail, or attach a letter to an email - it makes little difference, pick the one that you are most comfortable with). There’s a template below to help you out. Politicians don’t have a lot of time, so get to the point, and be clear. 

Whether meeting in person or sending a letter, it helps if you have what we call in the biz ‘an ask’ - something you either want them to take on board, or you want them to do.

This can be as simple as ‘I want to tell you my story, so you can know migraine is not just a headache, and we need help’ or ‘I need <medication> on the PBS’. Or it can be something more specific, like if you’ve been rejected from the NDIS, or rejected for DSP, and want them to find out why people with migraine are being denied disability support (note the various departments and ministers will generally not comment on personal cases, but if something has gone seriously wrong for you, by all means raise it, and your MP will let you know if they can help you fix the issue).

If the ask has an ‘I want to know’ or ‘can you ask’ component, local members will write to the minister, get a letter back, which they will then forward to you with their own cover letter. A letter from a local member to a minister is always more impactful than a letter directly to the minister.

Most importantly, be confident, but polite and respectful. And be yourself. And do not lie, that always backfires! 

As we approach the election, remember that you can ask any and every candidate to commit to advocating for migraine through a similar approach. You can also use this approach to ask your State MP for help if you have a concern related to hospital care, but most things related to doctors, medications, welfare, and disability support are federal. 


This is a bit of a template for an email to help those who aren't as confident at writing things than others to know roughly what to do. 

WARNING: if your email or letter looks or sounds like a form letter, you will not get an answer of any kind. So use this template as a guide, but be sure to make it your own. Don’t forget to include your contact details so they can write back!

Dear Ms Smith,

I am writing to you as my local member about migraine. I am one of the five million Australians who lives with migraine. The type of migraine I live with is <insert YOUR sub type here, like hemiplegic migraine> which, for me, causes <insert YOUR symptoms, like paralysis, difficulty speaking, fatigue, nausea, and a great deal of pain>.

I would like to give you an idea of what living with migraine is like for me. <Tell your story! What’s a typical day like? Can you work? What do you have to give up because of migraine? Do you have migraine related anxiety? Try to keep this bit to no longer than three average sized paragraphs, and if you can do it in one, great.>

Migraine is a complex genetic sensory processing disorder. Like other spectrum disorders, each of us has a unique experience of migraine, but all of us need more help and support. I would appreciate it if you <insert your ‘ask’ here! for example: could speak to the Health Minister about putting our medications on the PBS>.

I look forward to hearing from you soon about <repeat the main point of your ask, example: getting our migraine medications on the PBS>.

Yours sincerely,

<your name>

<your email address>

<your street address - local MPs will generally only answer messages if you live in their electorate>

<your phone number>

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