Preliminary Pages

Foreword

This report records the work of the second Petitions Committee, the Committee of the 43^rd Parliament. I will let the report speak for itself in terms of the Committee’s operations from 2010-2013, its formal framework, the issues that recur, and the issues that we expect to arise.

In this foreword I want to raise something that may not be apparent from the face of the report. I want to thank the Deputy Chair and my Committee colleagues for their unfailing enthusiasm for the process of petitioning the House of Representatives. I thank my colleagues for their whole-hearted support for the work of the Committee and for their cooperation and cohesion. Their hard work has made it a pleasure for me to Chair the Petitions Committee of the 43^rd Parliament.

Together we have endeavoured to ensure the Committee lives up to the expectations of the House when it established the Committee and of those people who seek to engage with the House to bring their concerns to the attention of the Executive.

Hon John Murphy MP

Chair

Membership of the Committee

Committee Secretariat

Terms of reference

To inquire into and report on the work of the Standing Committee on Petitions, with particular reference to:

(a)        the role and operations of the Standing Committee on Petitions; and

(b)       the effectiveness of the Standing Orders as they relate to petitions.