NSW
Look up your local MP in the form below for a detailed guide
to writing to them with targeted talking points
By Post
The most impactful letter is one that has been printed out or hand-written and sent through the post. Send to:
MP not found
By Email
A personally written email is also very effective. You can send the email to
MP not found
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 you are concerned about Alex Greenwich’s “Equality” Bill, which is being debated on February 8th.
Concerns
Outline some of your concerns about the legislaton. You do not need to cover everything that is wrong with it, instead focus on the issues that concern you personally the most.
Some options are:
Religious Freedom
Children consenting to medical treatment
This undermines the relationship of parents and children, and allows children to make life-changing decisions without their parent’s guidance and support.
Sex Self-ID
Prostitution
Commercial Surrogacy
Complexity
Note how large and complex this bill is. You might want to point out that it is 50 pages long, or that it makes over 80 changes to 20 different laws.
You could also say that the different issues in the bill are tangled up together, and there is no good way of passing parts of it without unintended consequences.
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 and consider each issue separately.
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
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.
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 MP not found,
or Dear MP not found,
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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. This piece of legislation presents a range of issues that could have significant negative impacts on faith-based institutions and broader society.
The bill proposes changes that would weaken protections for faith-based institutions under the Anti-Discrimination Act. If passed, these institutions could face a barrage of complaints accusing them of discrimination. Such a situation would place an undue burden on these organisations, forcing them into prolonged legal battles where judges would determine what constitutes “reasonable” faith. This creates a precarious environment for faith-based institutions, undermining their ability to operate according to their deeply-held beliefs.
Another troubling aspect of the bill is the provision allowing young people from the age of 16 to change their sex on their birth certificate without any requirement for medical intervention or surgery. This raises numerous concerns, particularly around the potential for young individuals to make such significant decisions without fully comprehending the long-term implications.
Implications extend to various societal sectors, mandating that places such as schools, prisons, and places of worship, as well as other women’s spaces, recognise individuals based on their declared sex. This requirement disregards the impact it may have on other individuals who rely on these spaces for safety, privacy, and security. Such a measure could undermine the right of these individuals to feel secure and respected in environments specifically designed to cater to their needs.
In light of these significant concerns, I urge you to consider rejecting Alex Greenwich's "Equality" bill in its entirety. The potential ramifications for faith-based institutions and various societal sectors are too significant to overlook. Your support in opposing this bill would be greatly appreciated by many in the community who share these concerns.
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[enter your name, address and phone number. Your address is needed so MPs know you are legitimately from their electorate.]
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