Meeting the candidates: A lobbying and advocacy primer

Why lobby?

Lobbying is the act of educating and persuading those in positions of influence to exercise that influence in a manner that works for you.

An effective government relies on lobbying for the information it needs to make good decisions. Politicians expect to be lobbied. You are providing them with a service: the opportunity to discuss the concerns of their constituents, and your members, in a direct way. This is particularly true during an election period. Candidates want to appear open, accessible, and interested in the views of the electorate.

Once candidates are nominated, there should be plenty of opportunities to meet with them. During an election campaign, all candidates will be in their ridings.

We are here to help

OCUFA’s success is greatly enhanced if coordinated lobbying takes place at the local and provincial level. It is crucial that OCUFA be made aware of the lobbying going on at the local level. To this end, please let the OCUFA office know as soon as you book a session with a candidate. This will allow us to structure our effort and provide you with relevant background material on the candidate you are about to meet. It is equally important that we know how your meeting went. Please send a copy of your follow-up email and any response from the candidate to our office.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the OCUFA staff for resources and support. For advocacy-related questions and requests, please contact Mina Rajabi Paak at mrajabi@ocufa.on.ca or Hind Eideh at heideh@ocufa.on.ca.