Legislative Assembly
Parliament of
Fact Sheet 8
Petitions
Purpose
A petition
is a direct way for citizens or groups to place their concerns before
Parliament and ask for action to be taken. It is a way of demonstrating to the
government issues that members of the public feel strongly about.
History
The practice of petitioning Parliament dates back to
the reign of King Edward I in the thirteenth century. The modern form of
petitions was developed in the seventeenth century by the House of Commons in
That it is an inherent right of every commoner of
During
this time, the presentation of a petition acted as the trigger for new laws. At
a time when the right to vote was restricted, the petition was also an
important way for people who had no parliamentary representation to have their
complaints heard.
The
impact of petitions has reduced in modern times. Public complaints can now be
brought to the attention of members of Parliament through the media or other
parliamentary proceedings such as question time.
Petitions
today are usually part of a broader campaign used by community groups to raise
public awareness on different issues. Petitioning may not result in immediate
action, but it can help to form a public opinion which may ultimately bring
about change.
Rules Regarding Petitions
The
procedural rules of the Legislative Assembly set out requirements for the
format, content and presentation of petitions. Standing Orders 44 to 52
describe the required form and the Assembly’s procedures for the presentation
of petitions.
These
rules are in place to ensure the authenticity of petitions and to protect both
petitioners and the Assembly. Abusing the petition procedure, for example,
signing in someone else’s name, could be found to be a
contempt of Parliament. The main requirements are covered below.
Form
·
Petitions need to
be addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Victoria.
·
A petition to be
presented in the Legislative Assembly must only be addressed to the Assembly
and not to the Legislative Council as well.
·
A brief
paragraph(s) must be included giving the reasons for the petition and should
end with the action asked for. If a petition is more than one sheet long, each
page must be headed with these details.
·
The details
should be photocopied or printed on each sheet before it is signed. Wording
pasted to a page of signatories is not allowed.
·
The signatures must
be numbered on each page, starting with number 1 for the first signature on
every sheet.
·
No letters,
affidavits or other documents (other than translations) can be attached or
incorporated on the front of a petition sheet.
·
The back of each
petition sheet should be left blank (other than a continuation of signatures
from the front), however material that is
inconsequential or irrelevant to the terms of the petition is permissible.
Content
·
The petition must
be legible.
·
The wording must
be respectful and not offensive.
·
Petitions need to
be in English, or attached to a certified translation if in another language.
·
Only issues which
the Assembly has authority to deal with can be raised (some matters, for
example, are the responsibility of the federal parliament in
·
No information
that seeks support for the petition should be added, although a note giving a
name and/or address for the return of the petition is allowed.
Signatories
·
Every petition
must be signed by at least one person.
·
All signatures
must be hand written.
·
Signatures must
be original — photocopies and scanned signatures are not allowed.
·
No-one can sign
on behalf of another person. However, a petitioner incapable of signing may get
someone else to sign for him or her.
·
Each person must
include his or her name, signature and address (only Victorian addresses are
acceptable).
·
A person must
live in
·
Names, addresses
and signatures can only be written on headed petition sheets.
Arranging Presentation
·
Petitions can
only be lodged for presentation by a member. This does not need to be the
petitioners’ local member. Petitioners should contact a member to make
arrangements. Petitions should not be
sent direct to Parliament House.
·
The member
presenting the petition must sign it in the top right-hand corner on the first
page.
·
Members are not
signing as a petitioner and do not need to agree with its contents.
·
The member will
arrange presentation with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. The Clerk will
check that the petition meets all requirements for presentation.
·
A member cannot
lodge his or her own petition.
Presentation to the
House
·
Petitions are
presented during formal business (explained in Fact Sheet 1: A Typical Sitting Day in the
House).
·
The Clerk announces
the name of the member who lodged the petition, who the petitioners are, the
subject matter of the petition and the number of signatures. These details are
printed in Hansard.
·
The Clerk sends
the relevant minister a copy of the front sheet of each petition for his or her
information.
·
As an alternative
procedure, under standing orders, a member can read the terms of a petition and
the number of signatories instead of making a 90-second statement (explained in
Fact Sheet 5: Opportunities for Debate).
Number of Petitions Presented
The
number of petitions presented in the Assembly since 1996 has averaged 146 per
year. The number of signatures on any
one petition has varied from the minimum of one signature up to many thousands.
Some of the larger petitions received in recent years include the
Re-Introduction of Capital Punishment petition in April 1999 with 51,645
signatures and the Women’s Petition 2001 in May 2001 with 41,487 signatures.
Further Inquiries
Further
inquiries concerning petitions should be directed to the Assistant Clerk
Committees, Parliament House,
Petition Template
A
template of the required format of petitions is set out on the next page.
Example of how petitions must be set out:
(these details must appear at the top of each
sheet)
To
the Legislative Assembly of
The
Petition of
(insert
here the names or descriptions of the petitioner or petitioners, such as
residents of
draws to
the attention of the House
or
points
out to the House
(insert
here the circumstances of the issue)
The
petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria
(insert
here the request of the petitioners, showing clearly the nature of the remedy
or action requested)
NAME ADDRESS SIGNATURE
Issued by the Clerk of the
Legislative Assembly, March 2009
Fact Sheets
The Legislative Assembly Procedure Office
has produced a series of Fact Sheets that explain parliamentary procedure and
terminology. All Fact Sheets are available on Parliament’s website www.parliament.vic.gov.au or through the Procedure
Office. Contact Details
Procedure Office, Legislative Assembly,
Parliament House, Spring Street, Phone No: 03
9651 8563 Fax No: 03 9650 7245 Email: assembly@parliament.vic.gov.au |