Top 5 Tips to Prepare for the Upcoming Fall Session

As we find ourselves in the dog days of summer in Alberta, the time has come to begin thinking more seriously about your organization’s government relations strategy for the fall. MLAs will return to the Legislature on Monday, October 27th for what many are expecting to be the beginning of a brand-new session. If this happens, the current Order Paper will be “killed”, and the Legislature will commence a new session with a speech from the throne.

Although the start of session is still two months away, this is an important time for organizations to ensure they are prepared for a short but busy session prior to the winter break in December. Today, we want to share our top five tips on what your organization can do in the coming weeks to set yourself up for success for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.

1.      Review Your Government Relations Strategy

This one may go without saying, but it is an important enough action that we would be remiss if we did not include it.

In the world of politics, the landscape can shift dramatically in very short order. It is critically important to take some time to sit down with your team to see what parts of your government relations strategy might need revamping before things kick off in October. Are there specific ministers/MLAs you need to connect with? Do you need to any public relations tools to your strategy? Should you reach out to the official opposition?

Our expert government relations associates are always ready to help you find the answers to questions like these and to help you revamp your strategy to improve the odds of success.

2.      Follow Up on Summer Contacts

If your organization was out on the barbeque circuit over the summer, you likely spent considerable time connecting with elected officials and allied stakeholders. It is one thing to go out and make introductions/shake hands, but the most important part of networking is the follow up.

If you have not already done so, now is an excellent time to begin going through that stack of business cards you collected at the Calgary Stampede and other events and reaching out to your new contacts. As you can imagine, people that attend these mixer-style events meet dozens (if not more) people and organizations from across the province, so it is important to make yourself stand out.

3.      Revise Leave-Behind Documents

This is good practice regardless, but it is especially important before session starts up in the fall. As things change rapidly in politics, so to can they change with the issues organizations advocate on. Perhaps there has been new data released since the last time you refreshed your one-pager documents or your organization has developed new key messages for your government relations efforts.

It is always worth spending a little time reviewing your leave-behind documents to ensure consistency in messaging and data when you are meeting with government and other decision makers.

4.      Catch Up on Summer News

Government news doesn’t stop over the summer months just because MLAs aren’t sitting in the Legislature. Since session ended, government has made numerous announcements that may have some impact on the work your organization does or on issues you are advocating for. Make sure to touch base with your government relations associate to ensure you are going into the next session with eyes wide open.

Additionally, it is worth scanning other jurisdictions across Canada for an understanding of how the political landscape is shifting elsewhere. Sometimes, like-minded organizations in other provinces may be working on similar issues with their provincial government which can often be an indicator of the way the wind could blow here. It can also provide local organizations a sense of what tactics and strategies were/were not successful in similar efforts.

5.      Hire Alberta Counsel to Support Your Government Relations Efforts

For those of you who read The NEWS by Alberta Counsel but are not yet clients of our firm, we hope you will consider us to support you and your organization’s government relations goals. We have a strong multi-partisan team that brings expertise on a variety of issues ranging from the nonprofit and voluntary sector (NVPS) to energy and everything in between that can help you.

We also offer services to develop digital campaigns and public relations that add another tool to your bag if and when you may need them. We can assist with organizing media events, provide advice on social media strategies, and support the development of key messages in a way that speaks to both government and the general public.