Government lobbying: when to stand out?

As with most major industries, the automotive industry has numerous peak bodies representing the various major players and most often handling government lobbying.

Be it the manufacturers, the dealers, the suppliers or the workers, each has a national body ostensibly representing the group’s interests with policy makers at both Federal and Statel level.

However, when a policy decision impacts directly and specifically on your business or even when you feel that the group response needs reinforcing, direct engagement with government lobbying becomes a strong option.

Lobbying any policy maker is not a case of simply presenting an argument that seems obvious to you, nor is it a case of sending off a multi-page technical submission from your legal advisors.

Effective government lobbying requires an understanding of the political motivations and administrative mechanics that create and enact new policy.

It requires a thorough knowledge of the roles of each of the key players and the contacts to get to the right people, armed with succinct and precisely targeted arguments.

For broader industry matters, it may well be that an ‘industry body only’ approach will suffice; however, if your business stands to be directly and negatively impacted by a policy decision or proposal do you really want to sit on the sidelines?

ICG Auto Advocate is here to help you achieve results – talk to us 03 9036 6300 about your government lobbying needs.