How I met my MP to change the conversation around our justice system

ActionStation has partnered with JustSpeak to mobilise people to take the conversation about transforming our justice system directly to MPs.

One on one conversations with our elected representatives can change the public discourse from fear around crime to the need for community-based interventions and alternatives to the justice system.

In June we hosted the first online training about how to best approach local members of Parliament.

Here are two awesome ActionStation/JustSpeak volunteers, Ben and Victor, who took part in the training and then booked meetings to visit their local MPs — Nicola Willis (National), Finance Minister Grant Robertson (Labour) and Paul Eagle (Labour):

Victor is Wellingtonian who is passionate and about environmental and social justice issues. He met his local MP Grant Robertson (also the Minister of Finance who will be making funding decisions on the proposals to move away from punishment to rehabilitation) and then MP Nicola Willis. He says they both went really well.

“Meeting with Minister Robertson reaffirmed for me that MPs are just people who have cares and needs of their own, and who happen to have a job which involves working closely with the public. And it reminded me that my job as a citizen is collaborate with MPs, to help them make the right calls which benefit society.” — Victor

This is how Victor did it in a short 5 minute video.

If you would like to be like Victor and meet your MP to talk about justice issues, sign up to get info and support here with this easy sign up form.

You can email Victor at v.komarovsky@gmail.com if you have any questions about his experience.