Chances are you'll spend more time with an adviser than their MP. Here are our top tips for effectively engaging these key stakeholders.
While recent events have exposed a dark side of staffing and ignited an important cultural discussion among the Liberal Party, the vast majority of political advisers are just hardworking individuals working long hours taking endless meetings on behalf of their MP.
In fact, government relations professionals usually spend more time meeting with advisers than their bosses. This is not just because their superiors are time poor, but because staffers are usually subject matter experts and have the political nous that gives an MP full confidence to delegate their authority.
Although political advisers are funded by the public purse, they are chosen and employed personally by the MP or their office. Although they are often typecast as hungry young party members, they are usually a mix of:
Regardless, whether it's on the job or through previous roles, advisers work hard to get across their respective fields to confidently advise their MP, so they in turn can serve their constituents and get re-elected.
Here are our top tips for effective engagement:
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