NSW
Write to 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 Lsstname”
Discussion points are below, and a sample email can be found at the bottom of this page. If you have already written an email to a Labor MP, then feel free to re-use that text.
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 regarding the Equality Bill currently under consideration. This bill poses significant implications for faith communities, women, and children. It allows individuals as young as 16 to change their sex on their birth certificate without any requirement for biological or surgical changes. This provision could lead to complex situations 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 sex, potentially disregarding the impact on others in these environments.
The bill also weakens protections for faith-based institutions under the Anti-Discrimination Act. This change could subject these institutions to frequent discrimination complaints, leaving the interpretation of what constitutes "reasonable" faith to the discretion of judges. Such a shift could undermine the autonomy and integrity of faith-based organisations.
I urge you to reject this bill in its entirety. If the government seeks to address issues related to gender identity and discrimination, it should engage in comprehensive public consultation and draft new legislation that considers the diverse perspectives and needs of all affected communities.
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[enter your name, address and phone number. This adds weight to your letter.]
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