Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my last statement to the House as chair of the petitions committee, I discussed the history of the Australian petitioning system from its origins in the 13th century in England to the establishment of the petitions committee in 2008 as well as briefly examining the wide range of effects that petitions can have. This week I would like to look at the role that members can play in regard to petitions under the petitioning system established in 2008.

But first I would like to point out that something rather unusual has occurred at my last two announcements as chair. In both announcements, there have not been any petitions for me to present, only ministerial responses.

This is not due to a lack of petitions. The committee certainly continues to receive them. As you know, Madam Speaker, there are two options for presenting petitions which the committee has found to meet requirements; they can be presented by me as chair, or by a member. All of the petitions that have been found to meet requirements at the last two meetings of the petitions committee were intended for presentation by members.

This brings me to an important point. Members have a variety of roles to play in regard to petitions, and perhaps the most significant is presenting these petitions to the House.

The circumstances in which members present petitions are varied. In some cases, members present petitions from their constituents, drawing the attention of the House and relevant minister to an issue raised by their constituents. In other cases, members might present petitions that have been prepared on issues about which they feel strongly. In other cases, members may present petitions with which they do not necessarily agree. The act of presenting a petition does not necessarily indicate members endorse its contents.

Members have a range of options for presenting petitions which are found to meet the requirements, for example during:

Otherwise, petitions can be presented by me as chair at this time. When members do present petitions, they are often kept informed of any response received from the minister, and this can help keep members informed of developments which are important to their constituents.

As you know, Madam Speaker, petitions must be certified by the Petitions Committee as meeting the requirements contained in the standing orders before they are presented. Often petitioners send their petitions directly to the committee secretariat. In other cases petitioners send them to their local member. I would like to take this opportunity to remind members that when they receive petitions they should submit them for consideration by the Petitions Committee before they are presented. If they are found to meet the requirements, these petitions are then returned to their members ready for presentation. Members are asked to indicate whether or not they would like to present the petitions when they are handed to the secretariat on behalf of petitioners for the committee's consideration.

Before petitions reach this point, members often play another very important role. Under the standing orders members cannot be signatories or principal petitioners. However, members' offices can assist petitioners to ensure that the draft petitions meet the requirements by pointing petitioners to the Petitions Committee website or the relevant section of the standing orders. I recommend that anyone seeking to petition the House consult the committee website, as it contains much useful information on the form petitions should take, including an explanation of the relevant standing orders and a petition template.

I also encourage my colleagues to contact the Petitions Committee secretariat when approached by petitioners, particularly before they begin to gather signatures. The secretariat can provide feedback to people organising petitions which can assist them to meet the requirements. In this way members can act as a conduit between the Petitions Committee and constituents organising petitions, helping to ensure that these constituents gain access to the full range of benefits that petitioning the House can bring.