Brigitte is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court.
She has over a decade of experience working in politics across Australia and New Zealand. She has a Bachelor of Law from Victoria University, a Masters of Law from the Australian National University, and a Graduate Certificate in Counter-Terrorism from Interdisciplinary Center (Israel).
Brigitte spent three years providing political and media advice to the Embassy of Israel in Australia, whilst dealing with a number of high profile events. She worked as a Senior Advisor in state politics and worked on a number of Australian state and federal election campaigns. Brigitte was a Chief of Staff to an Australian Senator, before returning home to be the Senior Ministerial Advisor to the Minister of Education in the last National Government.
She has worked extensively with clients in the private sector to help them establish and maintain relationships with government, lobby on important issues, and drive campaigns to raise public interest. Brigitte particularly enjoys working with grassroots and member based organisations.
Brigitte has extensive knowledge of law making processes, how to best utilise the Official Information Act, and how to coordinate public interest campaigns across multiple channels. She is particularly interested and experienced in firearms law, electoral law and large scale reforms.
She is a regular commentator for RNZ, TVNZ, Newstalk ZB and a co-host of political podcast Three Gals One Beehive.
“We started out thinking the consultation was just a formality, most of us would have voted for the Bill. By the time we’d learned from the community, almost every one of us thought the Bill was too dumb to be rescued, even if we tried to amend it. It would have damaged a system that was working well.”
Select Committee oral submissions are an important way to show MPs how the legislation they are scrutinising affects real people. But you need to make your submission compelling. The following is some simple things you can do to make yourself heard -
Think about the prejudices and misconceptions the Select Committee will have. MPs are people too and will come to the committee with their own ideas on who is worth listening to. Anything you can do to confront any assumed stereotypes of your group is likely to get the Committee curious about your point of view.
You have a right to put your view before the Committee. But if it just pure ideological, do not expect to be influential.
Abstract statements of principle get no traction in front of Select Committees. They tend to be used by adversaries on the Committee to grandstand to the media by making it plain that they disagree.
The Committee did not draft the Bill. Do not take your anger out on them. That does not mean you have to pretend your submission is not vitally important. You can be passionate – just not offensive.
Assume that MPs have read your submission or at least read a summary of it. Never read from it. Instead tell your story – how did you come to represent this group and how will the bill affect your life.
Want a printable version of this advice? Click here
Want advice, feedback or training for your Select Committee submission? Contact our Senior Consultant Brigitte Morten
Senior Consultant Brigitte Morten joined the Panel on Newshub on Saturday to discuss the week in politics. Alongside Dr Lara Greaves from Auckland University, they discussed the first week of National Party leader Todd Muller, the government's freshwater policy announcement and how the Green are looking heading in to the election. You can watch The Nation here
Senior Consultant joined Radio NZ's The Panel on Friday afternoon to discuss the change in National Party leadership. Alongside Tim Watkin and Claire Amos they talked about why the change happened, what happens next and whether Todd Muller's Make America Great Again cap was a big deal. To listen to The Panel, click here
