How do I start a petition to parliament? How many signatures do we need? What can we do to get this happening?
Petition presented in the Australian Senate to stop tariff cuts
The Department of the Senate
Petition presented in the Australian Senate to stop tariff cuts
The Department of the Senate
Description
This is a photo of the back of a white dinner jacket which has been written on in black marker. The jacket was presented to the Senate as a petition on 2 April 1992. The writing says:
‘PETITION TO STOP TARIFF CUTS To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament Assembled. We, the undersigned, including workers in the Textile, Clothing & Footwear Industries in the Federal Electorate of Wills, request that the Government: 1. Puts an immediate stop to TCF tariff cuts. 2. Calls a meeting of TCF employees & unions to identify specific products which need increased tariff protection and implement this. 3. Extends these measures to other industries.’
This is followed by a table with the following headings: Name, Address and Signature. The signatures have been blurred out for the photo.
Thanks for your question, John. Petitions are a great way to draw attention to a problem and gather support for an idea.
Petitions are accepted by both the Senate and House of Representatives. They must:
- contain a request for action in an area the Australian Parliament has the power to make laws.
- follow the rules for petitions in the Standing orders.
- use respectful language
- have at least one signature.
The Senate accepts paper petitions and electronic petitions that have been printed out. A senator presents the petition to the Senate on behalf of the petitioners.
Petitions can be submitted to the House either electronically or in hardcopy.