NSW
Write to Labor MLCs
Today, it is most important to contact Labor MPs, so the best thing to do is write to one or many Labor MLCs.
An MLC is a Member of the Legislative Council, or the “upper house”. These politicians do not have a specific electorate or area, but represent the State as a whole.
The most effective way of writing is to write a single email text, and send individual emails to the 15 Labor MLCs listed below. That way you can start each email “dear ***” with the MLCs name. If you send one email CC’d to everyone it will be taken less seriously.
You can address the MLCs as “Dear Firstname” or “Dear Mr/Ms Lastname”
Discussion points are below, and a sample email can be found at the bottom of this page.
MLC Contact Details
Discussion Points
Introduce
Introduce yourself to your MP, say where you live, something about your family, community, or church/mosque/temple etc.
Say that you are writing because your are concerned about Alex Greenwich’s “Equality” Bill, which is being debated on February 8th.
Concerns
This bill will have massive effects on faith communities, women and children.
Sex Self-ID
- Allows young people from 16 years old to change their sex on their birth certificate whenever they want, regardless of biology or surgery.
- Forces schools, prisons, places of worship, and other women’s spaces to treat people as their newly-declared sex regardless of how it impacts other people in those places.
Religious Freedom
- Will open up faith-based institutions to constant complaints of discrimination and allow judges to decide what is “reasonable” faith.
- Removes protections for faith-based schools and many other religious institutions.
Your request
Ask the MP to reject the bill completely, and not try to cut it up or pass bits of it.
If the Government wants to address any of these issues, they should write their own legislation with public consultation.
Conclude
Thank the MP for their attention.
Ensure you include your name and address. This is so the MP’s staff can confirm that you are a member of their electorate. Letters without an address are often ignored
Attach a summary
This summary document is designed for all MPs, as a summary of our concerns and requests. Print it out and include it in a mailed letter, or download it and attach it to an email.
We recommend you don’t simply put the link in your email, but make it an attachment. Attachments to emails are usually taken more seriously than links.
Example Letter
This letter is provided as an example. It is always best to write your own letter, however this example is based on a few of the discussion points above and is provided to help you start.
If you are basing your letter off this template, make sure you replace the sections in **[brackets]**
Dear [MLCs name],
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[write a paragraph about yourself, include what suburb you live in or how you are connected to the MP’s electorate. You might mention your family, your cultural background, your faith, what church or place of worship you attend]
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I am writing to express my concerns about Alex Greenwich's Equality Bill and its potential impact on various communities. The bill allows individuals as young as 16 to change their sex on their birth certificate without consideration of biological or surgical factors. This could lead to significant challenges in schools, prisons, places of worship, and other spaces traditionally designated for women, as these institutions would be required to recognise individuals based on their declared gender, potentially disregarding the comfort and safety of others.
The bill also appears to weaken protections for faith-based institutions under the Anti-Discrimination Act. This could result in these institutions facing frequent discrimination complaints, with courts determining what constitutes "reasonable" faith. Such changes could undermine the ability of these organisations to operate according to their beliefs.
I urge you to reject this bill in its current form. If the government seeks to address these issues, it should consider drafting new legislation with thorough public consultation to ensure a balanced approach that respects the rights and concerns of all affected parties.
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[enter your name, address and phone number. This adds weight to your letter.]
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