Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

It might become clear why I have taken the question as a question about the way in which the House would deal with this matter. Under the standing orders we have created a Standing Committee on Petitions. Standing order 205, which talks about rules for signatures, says that each signature must be made by the person signing in his or her own handwriting. I think that in the first instance, as with analogous situations where there is an appropriate committee, I propose to refer the letter that was sent to the Leader of the House to the Standing Committee on Petitions for them to deal with it as a committee. If there are other things that are required arising from their discussions, we would then bring them back to the House. I say that it is not really a matter for executive government; it is a problem for the parliament to have a look at and decide which way it wishes to proceed.

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