Election 2025: Candidate engagement guide

Overview

The upcoming federal election presents an important opportunity to highlight the importance of Canada’s development and humanitarian sector. This is your chance to ensure that key political candidates and their teams understand our sector’s contributions to global peace and security, development and improved health outcomes for those who are most vulnerable. By engaging with candidates you can help raise key issues of importance impacting you, your family and Canadians. 

Political parties have been on the record about development and humanitarian assistance. These past statements can be found on party platforms and parliamentary records, but elections offer a unique opportunity to reset the conversation. Campaigns are a chance for candidates to take a stand for the first time, clarify their positions, or renew their commitments to supporting certain initiatives and issues. 

This is a great time for you or your staff, volunteers, and supporters to ask about global health for women and children. Below you will find suggested activities, varying in degrees of preparation, participation and presence. 

Questions you can ask a candidate:

• What is your vision for Canada’s role in international development over the next decade?
• In your previous experience have you ever had a chance to meet with  [insert local organization], to learn more about the great work they are doing to advance the health, rights and well-being of women and children around the world?
• Do you support increasing Canada’s international development budget, and if so, by how much?
• How will you demonstrate your support for Canada’s proud tradition of investment in women and children’s health and rights around the world?
• How will your party ensure that Canada’s humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable communities in times of crisis?
• If elected (or re-elected), what steps would you take to maintain Canada’s commitment to global health, especially given recent changes to the international aid landscape?
• How will you engage Canadians — including youth and diaspora communities — in shaping Canada’s international development policies?

Different types of candidate interactions

Depending on your region, candidates may be open to various styles of meetings. They can be formal, or informal, or prefer to only engage publicly in a setting like a debate. No matter the setting of your meeting, be prepared to ask each candidate direct questions on key issues and do not be afraid to ask them to make a clear commitment. 

Make sure you print off a “two-pager” with enough copies for all meeting attendees and provide a copy for the candidate. Please avoid “setting up” the candidate for a hostile meeting; the candidate and their party will not appreciate it, and it may not help your cause. 

Each region may be different, some may prefer to work and engage with you at a campaign office, while it is more common in the Atlantic region for candidates to participate in kitchen table talks. Below are the most common types of meetings and interactions you can expect to have with a candidate and how to best engage: 

One-on-one candidate-employer meetings

One-on-one meetings are a direct and effective way to engage with candidates and advocate for the development sector. These meetings require minimal preparation and can be arranged by contacting a candidate’s campaign office to schedule a meeting, or by attending events and visiting campaign offices. Candidates may even come to your door — so be prepared! These interactions enable you to act as a representative of the sector and speak about its critical role.

Kitchen table meetings

A kitchen table meeting offers a both personal and informal setting to engage with candidates. Reach out to campaigns, to invite candidates, one at a time, to sit down with a small group of organizations and discuss key issues affecting the sector. The kitchen table setting is informal, making the event less confrontational or contentious, and therefore more conducive to ensuring the candidate is able to hear your message clearly. Hosting one candidate successfully often encourages others to accept similar invitations. 

All-candidate debates

In most ridings, there will be a number of debates where candidates will be invited to speak out and engage on the issues. These debates come in different formats, depending on the organizers and the negotiations with the campaigns. Most often, they take the form of a panel discussion or a town hall, with varying degrees of direct discussions and banter between the candidates. From time to time, questions from the audience will be asked. 

These debates offer you a unique opportunity to educate candidates, influence policy positions, and build long-term relationships that benefit the sector. By attending all-candidate debates and lining up to ask a question, you will put the issue on the radar, keep the candidates accountable and maybe even generate media coverage. Be concise and precise when you ask a question, as it will generate a clearer answer from the candidates.

Do’s and don’ts

Do’s:

• Treat every candidate with the same level of respect and professionalism you would show to an elected Member of Parliament. Regardless of their party affiliation or current standing, any candidate could end up representing your riding. Building a positive rapport now lays the groundwork for productive relationships later.
• Clearly outline your key talking points and focus on the key priorities you wish to raise. Be concise and specific about the issues that matter most, and provide concrete examples and potential solutions. 
• If hosting a meeting or event, ensure there are no visible signs of political affiliation, such as party posters or paraphernalia. 

Don’ts

• Never discuss campaign donations during engagements. If a candidate brings up fundraisers or asks for contributions with you, politely decline and redirect the conversation to sector-specific issues. 
• Avoid expressing favouritism toward a candidate or party, as this can lead to limited future engagement opportunities should a particular candidate feel alienated. 
• Do not underestimate any candidate or dismiss them based on polling or public perception. Every candidate deserves the same level of respect and attention, as election outcomes can be unpredictable at times. 

Tips on engaging with a candidate 

• Always keep the interaction polite and respectful, even if you disagree with a candidate – be mindful that you are an ambassador of your organization. Candidates have a busy schedule and a limited amount of time; be polite but limit the small talk and get straight to your issues.
• Anecdotes and personal stories resonate. Don’t be afraid to put a personal spin on these issues, tell the candidate how they may impact you, and your community!
• Always take the discussion back to your key messages. The candidate may try to take the conversation and spin in a different direction – don’t be afraid to reset and take the conversation back to your key priorities.
• It is as much your chance to educate and demonstrate your key messages to the candidate as it is an opportunity to learn about the candidate and their priorities. These engagements are designed to build relationships and offer an opportunity to educate and learn before the candidate wins the riding and gets to Ottawa. 
• Say cheese! Do not hesitate to ask for a photo during or after the meeting. 
• Take notes! This ensures you are ready to follow up on any names you may be introduced to or recommended to meet without having to follow up with the candidate to re-confirm. 
• Follow-ups are important. We strongly recommend sending a quick thank you note to the candidate and the team member who helped organize it. A little goes a long way. This is also a chance to send any information they may have asked you about certain points or information you did not have readily available at the time of the meeting.