Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In contrast to last week's presentation, which had 153 petitions, this presentation has only two. The combination of the sitting pattern and the four-week period that e-petitions are open to collect signatures means that only paper petitions with handwritten signatures are being presented today.

The Committee meets each Wednesday that the House sits to consider and certify petitions, and at other times when there is a long break between sittings. Paper petitions are provided to the Committee for certification with signatures already collected, and can therefore be presented at the next opportunity, whereas the presentation of certified e-petitions cannot occur until their signature collection period has passed.

There are currently 163 e-petitions open for collecting signatures. These were certified by the committee at meetings held over the past weeks and will be presented when the House next sits in November. Another large presentation of petitions is expected at that time, on behalf of the many Australians who have created and signed in support of the important matters that each petition concerns.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I look forward to further updating the House on the work of the Petitions Committee.