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Petitions

Each sitting day in the House, the Clerk announces the receipt of petitions from Members. Petitions presented to the Legislative Assembly are required to conform with the following principles as set out in Chapter 9 of the Standing Orders:
  • be addressed to the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly in Parliament assembled.
  • be clearly written, typed or printed and not have anything attached to it and not conatin any allegations.
  • state the facts which the petitioners wish to bring to the notice of the House.
  • conclude with a request that the House do, or do not do, something or take some course of action.
  • contain at least one signature
  • not make reference to debate in the House.

A copy of every petition received is referred to the Minister responsible for the subject contained in the petition and a copy of that letter is sent to the Member presenting the Petition.

Administrative requirements regarding petitions are as follows:
  • petitions must be lodged with the Clerk by 12 noon on the day it is to be reported. Petitions received after this time will be presented the following sitting day.
  • Members must sign the front sheet.
  • it is the responsibility of the Member to ensure that the Petition is in order.

In accordance with Standing Order 124 petitions are deemed to be received by the House unless a motion, moved on the next sitting day, is agreed to, without debate or amendment, that a petition be not received.

The Member presenting the Petition cannot be a signatory.

Petitions are one of the most traditional Parliamentary processes, being the only means by which an individual can directly place grievances before the Parliament. Each sitting day in the House, the Clerk announces the receipt of petitions from Members. A copy of each petition is then referred to the Minister responsible for the subject contained in the petition, and a copy of that letter is sent to the Member presenting the petition.

Rules Regarding Form and Content of Petitions Presented to the Legislative Assembly
Standing Orders 119 - 125 set out the form and content of petitions, and the procedure for lodgement and presentation. These rules ensure the authenticity of petitions and provide protection to the petitioners and the House.

Form
    1. Every petition should begin with the words "To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parliament assembled". This is the preamble.

    2. The last paragraph of the body of each petition must set out the general objective sought by the petitioner(s) or the nature of the action sought. This concluding paragraph is the request.

    3. Each page of signatures must be headed with the words of the request.

    4. The paragraphs of the petition (containing the preamble, petitioners, grievance and request) may be written, typed or printed. Every signature must be original hand-writing, and signatures must not be pasted on, photocopied or transferred in any other way.

    5. The petition must not have any attachments, such as letters, affidavits, or other documents, except in the case of a petition for a private bill. Standing Order 358 sets out the special rules for private bills.

    6. The petition must be legible and contain no alterations.

    7. The petition must be in English or accompanied by a translation certified to be correct by the Member lodging the petition.

Signatures
    8. The petition must be signed by the people whose names are listed, using their own signature or mark if they are unable to write. Every person signing a petition must write their address after their signature.

Content
    9. The petition must not make reference to any debate in Parliament. The language used in the petition must be polite and respectful.

Presentation
    10. A Member presenting a petition on behalf of citizens must lodge it with the Clerk, in practice the Procedure Office, by 12 noon on the sitting day it is to be reported to the House. Petitions lodged outside a normal sitting week or during a prorogation are kept for presentation at the next sitting.

    11. Petitions can only be lodged for presentation to the Legislative Assembly by a Member of the Legislative Assembly. However, a petition may not be lodged by a Member who has signed it as a petitioner.

    12. The Member lodging the petition must sign the top of the front sheet. This signifies that the Member has ensured that the petition conforms with the Standing Orders as set out in the rules listed above.

    13. The Clerk must also certify that each petition is in conformity with Standing Orders before it is reported to the House.

    14. The Clerk will announce the receipt of petitions to the House and the subject matter of the petition and the Member who lodged it will be published in the Votes and Proceedings and the text of each petition is printed in Hansard.

    Every petition presented is considered to be received by the House, unless the motion "that the petition be not received" is moved on the next sitting day and agreed to. No debate is permitted on the subject matter of petitions except by way of substantive motion.
    The Clerk refers every petition received by the House to the Minister responsible for the administration of the subject matter of the petition. A copy of the Clerk's referral letter is forwarded to the Member lodging the petition.


SAMPLE FORMATS
Two recommended forms for presentation of petitions to the Legislative Assembly - one modern and one more traditional - are below. It is important that anyone drawing up a petition should follow a suitable format and be aware of the rules governing petitions before taking steps to collect signatures. This avoids the possibility of the petition being ruled out of order and not presented to the House.

    MODERN FORMAT
    To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales. (The preamble)

    The Petition of................. (The petitioners - identify here who the petitioners are, in general terms e.g.
        citizens of New South Wales or residents of the State of New South Wales or residents of [name of town, region or electorate])

    Brings to the attention of the House.................................................. (The grievance -insert here the petitioners' grievance or the circumstances of the matter)

    The undersigned petitioners therefore ask the Legislative Assembly to....................................... (The request - outlining the action that the House should, or should not, take)

    (Signatures) (Names) (Addresses)

    or

    TRADITIONAL FORMAT
    To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales in Parliament assembled. (The preamble)

    The Petition of................. (The petitioners - identify here who the petitioners are, in general terms e.g.
        citizens of New South Wales or residents of the State of New South Wales or residents of [name of town, region or electorate])

    Respectfully sheweth.............................(The grievance - insert here the petitioners' grievance or the circumstances of the matter)

    Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Honourable House .................................. (The request - outlining the action that the House should, or should not, take)

    And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

    (Signatures) (Names) (Addresses)

Note: The request of the petition (the fourth paragraph - see above examples) must be repeated at the head of each sheet of signatures



First Published: July, 1991
Updated: April, 2007


Last modified 13/02/2008 10:29:34   :   Update this page