50 Petitions
Part of the Yirrkala Petition
A petition is a request by a group of citizens for Parliament to take note of and perhaps to solve a particular problem. It is the oldest and main way that citizens can draw attention to or complaint directly to the Parliament. Petitions began in the 13th century, although their present form dates from the 17th century.
While there is no fixed or standard form, a petition usually includes:
- an address to the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President of the Senate
- the power of the Parliament that can be used to solve the problem
- the problems and facts which the petitions want to place before the Parliament
- a request that the Parliament do something in response, and
- a list of the names and addresses of all the petitioners.
Petitions can only be presented to the Parliament by members and senators on behalf of the citizens. Petitions are presented by members to the House of Representatives on Mondays and by senators to the Senate on Thursdays. About 500 petitions are presented to the Parliament each year.
One of the most famous petitions was presented to the House of Representatives in 1963 by a member on behalf of the Aboriginal people at Yirrkala in the Northern Territory. This petition asked that the Parliament listen to the claims of the people at Yirrkala before land was removed from the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve. As a result, the Parliament established a select committee to investigate the issue. This petition was written in English and Yolgnu, the Yirrkala language, and decorated with Aboriginal illustrations. The petition is on public display in Parliament House.
Download: Fact Sheet 50 - Petitions [195KB]
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& More information
House of Representatives Infosheet - Petitions
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/info/infosheets/is11.pdf