How do you engage with government during caretaker period?

For organisations wanting to meet and engage with Government, the caretaker period is a time of opportunity, writes Account Manager Renee Wilkinson.

Caretaker period is the time between the writs for an election being issued and the new government being formally sworn in.

During this time, Members of Parliament and candidates will be very busy campaigning and meetings will be almost impossible to secure.

However, one achievable way to engage with key politicians is to purchase tickets and attend fundraising events.

The political parties are holding a large number of fee-for-engagement events offering opportunities to discuss issues with key stakeholders.

Purple keeps in touch with all political parties and is keeping a register of events in the lead up to the election.  Some of the upcoming events include

ALP:

15 February –  Dinner with Mark McGowan and Geoff Gallop.

23 February –  Lunch with Mark McGowan.

Date in Feb to be confirmed –  Shadow Ministerial Breakfast – Jobs and State Infrastructure.

3 March – Lunch with Mark McGowan.

Liberal

10 February – Liberal Party of WA Gala Dinner.

Nationals WA

27 February – Boardroom Dinner with Brendon Grylls, Terry Redman, Mia Davies and other Nationals MPs

28 February – Business Breakfast with Brendon Grylls, Terry Redman, Mia Davies and other Nationals MPs 

Donations to political parties
All donations equal to or more than $2 300 to political parties registered in WA must be disclosed by the receiving party. This means the donations are made public and generally receive media coverage and public scrutiny.  Purchasing tickets to fundraising events does not require disclosure.

Engagement with the public service
Beyond the meetings with elected politicians, normal interaction with Government agencies should continue. Purple is happy and able to assist with such engagement should it be desired.

If you would like to know more about engaging with Government during the caretaker period, including details of different fundraising events, contact us.

Renee Wilkinson is an Associate Director in Purple’s Government Relations team and an expert in helping clients build relationships with government and the community. Email Renee.