John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( Mr Speaker, the petitions I have presented today on behalf of the House Standing Committee on Petitions represent the largest number of petitions tabled in a single announcement since the establishment of this committee. Today's presentation included 30 petitions, representing the views and concerns of a total of 60,316 citizens. The variety and, indeed, the volume of petitions presented today demonstrate the wish of many Australians to express their opinions to the House in this traditional way.

These petitions express a broad range of views held by citizens from all walks of life, residing in various parts of the country. The views included, for example, are as diverse as foreign affairs, battery hen farming and aircraft noise regulations. Petitions also hailed from a variety of places—from Broken Hill to metropolitan Melbourne.

On sitting Mondays at this time, I present petitions in my role as chair of the petitions committee. Before petitions are presented, the committee assesses whether they meet specific requirements of House standing orders. The committee neither endorses nor rejects petitions on the basis of the views expressed in them. It respects the rights of all petitioners to express their views to the House, and to have their petitions tabled—so long as they conform to the rules of the House.

In the same way that any member who lodges or presents a petition may or may not support its aims, in my capacity as chair I may present petitions that I do not necessarily agree with. However, my role, and indeed the role of all members of the House of Representatives, is framed by the standing orders of the House and its respect for freedom of speech. Thank you.

Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As deputy chair of the committee, I just wonder in the process of the number of petitions that have been presented today that the ministerial responses, whilst they are extremely important, are listed on the website of the petitions committee. The chairman might like to consider that ministerial responses as listed will be presented on the committee's website, and that might be for the consideration of the committee.