Petitions

A petition is basically a request for action. The right to petition Federal Parliament has been one of the rights of citizens since federation, and it is the only way an individual can directly place grievances before the Parliament.

Senate Petitions

The presentation of a petition to the Senate is a proceeding in Parliament and is protected by parliamentary privilege. The publication of a petition before presentation is not similarly protected. (See Chapter 2, Australian Senate Practice, Parliamentary Privilege, Circulation of petitions.)

House of Representatives petitions

A petition to the House of Representatives (the House) is a request for action on something that the House is responsible for.

The House Standing Committee on Petitions receives and processes petitions on behalf of the House.

Petitions to the House must follow the rules and can be presented by a Member of Parliament or the Committee Chair.

Learn more about petitioning the House

Related Resources and Links

Senate

House of Representatives

What is a Petition?

Individuals and organisations may seek to have petitions presented to the Parliament. A petition expresses a point of view, usually on matters of public policy, and contains a request for action, or in some cases, not to take action. The right to petition Parliament has been one of the rights of citizens since Federation.

Each house of the Parliament has its own rules that documents must follow in order to be accepted as petitions.

December 2017

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
26	27	28	29	30	1 Other	2
3 Both	4 Both	5 Both	6 Both	7 Other	8 Other	9
10	11	12 Other	13 Other	14 Senate	15	16
17 Senate	18	19	20 Senate	21 Senate	22	23
24 Public holiday	25 Public holiday	26	27	28	29	30
31 Public holiday	1	2	3	4	5	6

Senate
House of Representatives
Both
Public Holiday
Other

Date	Title
31/12/16	Welcome to Parliament House tour
29/11/17	Boundless Volumes exhibition
03/12/17	Senate sitting
03/12/17	House of Representatives sitting
03/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Coastal Trading Bill
03/12/17	Discover Parliament House tour
03/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Digital delivery
03/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Senator Fifield Conduct
03/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling National security
04/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
04/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
04/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
04/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Diagnostic imaging
04/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Murray Darling Plan
05/12/17	House Committee Public Hearing
05/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling OECD Tax Measures BEPS
05/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Lending Primary Producion
05/12/17	House Committee Public Hearing
05/12/17	House Committee Public Hearing
06/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
06/12/17	House Committee Public Hearing
06/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Air Services 3 Agreements
06/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling NAIF
06/12/17	Inquiry Report Tabling Early Childhood
06/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
06/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
06/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
07/12/17	Behind the Scenes tour
07/12/17	House Committee Public Hearing
07/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
07/12/17	Senate Committee Public Hearing
07/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing
07/12/17	Joint Committee Public Hearing

Parliamentary sitting calendar

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