Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I present the 20th report of the Petitions Committee for the 45th Parliament, together with 20 petitions and 44 ministerial responses to petitions previously presented. The right to petition the parliament dates back to the 13th century, and it's been described as the oldest of all parliamentary forms. Back then, bills were gradually derived directly from petitions. Nowadays, petitions continue to enable citizens to put their grievances to the parliament to gain public exposure and support for their cause and to draw issues to the attention of the House.

In the 45th Parliament, a major part of the petitions process involves ministers responding in writing to petitioners about issues within their portfolio. This important act assures petitioners that their petition has reached the office of a representative of government responsible for change and that that office has heard the petitioner's grievance. As I noted earlier, this report contains 44 ministerial responses to petitions presented to this House. The committee is grateful for the ongoing support from ministers in providing timely responses to petitions and for their active involvement in the petitions process. While not every petition can be acted upon, what is important is that the petitioner has a chance to be heard. I'll continue to provide updates to the House on the work of the Petitions Committee.