Presentation to PCMH September 22, 2012 London, Ontario Lissa Regan

Purpose of Presentation  Outline Basic Structure of Government  “Advocacy 101”  Benefits of Working Together

Current Status  107 MPP’s in Ontario legislature  53 Ontario Liberal Party; 36 Conservative and 18 NDP  23 in Cabinet, including the Premier   (Elections Ont. great website for info on ridings)

Current Status (cont.)  Currently a Minority government in Ontario; unchanged from recent by- elections  Average life span of minority is 2-3 years; not 4 years as per general election set election date  This is the 3 rd mandate for the McGuinty government, first elected in 2003

Child and Youth Mental Health  Child and Youth Mental Health is housed within the Ministry of Children and Youth Services  This government created MCYS, with a view to focusing attention on the specific needs of young people

Child and Youth Mental Health – Our current Minister  Hon. Eric Hoskins is current Minister of MCYS  Physician; Humanitarian  President of War Child Canada, has helped children impacted by war in most desperate areas of world including Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Iraq  Rhodes Scholar

Child and Youth Mental Health – Our Deputy Minister  Deputy Minister is Alex Bezzina  Great experience in the Ontario Public Service having served in a variety of portfolios  Responsible for carrying out the direction of Minister Hoskins and government

Who’s Who  PremierSecretary of Cabinet  Premier’s OfficeCabinet Office  Political StaffBureaucrats  Premier is head of government; Secretary of Cabinet head of civil service; PO has political leadership while CO carries out plans; political staff communicate direction to bureaucrats

Minister’s Many Hats Minister responsible to a variety of “stakeholders” Premier, Cabinet Colleagues Caucus Liberal Party Membership Opposition Critics Sector Representatives Constituency

Advocacy  When meeting the Minister, or an MPP, “use your power”  A parent voice is without agenda – it is always for the benefit of those at the root of the cause  Parent voice is powerful, not a “special interest”

Move Your Agenda  Present win-win scenarios  Move your agenda by demonstrating how in giving you what you need benefits government  (e.g. agencies can tell government that additional funding could focus on reducing wait times for kids, and provide data to back up the claim)

Move Your Agenda  Be consistent  Whatever you’re telling your MPP in southwestern Ontario should be the same as what’s being heard across the north  Only through repetition does the message get through  Avoid message “muddle”

Before your meeting…… Make sure you can answer the questions: What do I want to achieve? What message and I delivering? What is my ask?

Before Your Meeting  Your “ask” must be clear, consistent and realistic. It should be arrived at in conjunction with your colleagues. You can add local “flavour” or demonstrate by using a personal story, but the “ask” should be consistent  Remember to position your conversation so it includes a “win” for the Minister/MPP

Build a Relationship  Get to know your local MPP so that you are comfortable with them. Reach out to other MPP’s in neighbouring areas  Make contact a regular event, not just when you want to deliver bad news, or ask for something

Avoid the Rut  Don’t just go to your MPP at provincial budget time each year and sound like a broken record  Find ways to work together and be creative

Stop Talking and Listen!  You learn a lot when MPP’s have the opportunity to think out loud, explore ideas or ask questions. Don’t confine the meeting to your presentation – be aware of their need to communicate with you  Don’t think your meeting was successful if you simply talked at them for a half hour!

Be Respectful  Say Thank-You both in person and in writing  Politics is a thankless job, and you would be surprised at how grateful elected officials are to hear those simple words!

Communication is Key  Forge strong ties in all parties. You may not always agree with certain individuals, but always ensure you can find a way to communicate respectfully  Being negative or difficult has never led to successful government relations

Relationships make all the difference  Give credit where it’s due, if someone does something positive, say it  Always make it clear you want to work with all members to further your agenda