Lots! First, become well informed. If you are here, then you are already well on the way.
Tell them you want greater priority given to the needs of children and why. Suggest they promote effective measures for the relief of families on low incomes. Make sure you tell them you are a member of their electorate. Find their contact details here.
Tell our Finance Minister that you want to see effective action in next year's Budget to reduce the levels of child poverty in New Zealand. Note the high government surplus and the opportunity it provides to take effective action.
His email address is: mcullen@ministers.govt.nz.
Politicians pay attention to emails they get, but they monitor news coverage closely as well. Writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper is an excellent way to help get child poverty issues into the public eye.
If writing this kind of letter is new for you, download CPAG's guide. It includes all the email addresses you will need in order to send in your letter, as well.
Have your say on the Budget Policy Statement or other important policies as they are being developed. Why leave it to the Business Roundtable or Federated Farmers? It is time ordinary people had more influence on economic policy.
If you are interested in making a submission, you are welcome to contact us for help with the content. For more information on writing and presenting submissions, download CPAG's guide. This is a pdf document and you will need adobe acrobat.
The Every Child Counts website has an excellent child-friendly Advocacy Toolkit, at http://www.everychildcounts.org.nz/advocacytoolkit.php
We are interested to hear your views - send a copy of what you write via email to us at admin@cpag.org.nz