Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In my last statement as chair of the Petitions Committee, I spoke about the role members play in bringing petitions to the attention of the House. Today I will discuss the effects that petitioning can have. Whether a petition is on a matter affecting a small area, like mobile phone blackspots, or the entire country, like asylum seeker policy, it is important that Australians have a mechanism for bringing these matters to the attention of the House. Further, when petitioners engage their local member in the process, it helps to keep the member informed of the issues that are important to their constituents. In this way, petitions serve the purpose of making both the House and its members better informed.

After a petition has been presented in the House, it is referred to the responsible minister for a response. This, in turn, draws the attention of the relevant decision makers to the matters raised in petitions and is another key aspect of the importance of petitions. When ministers respond to petitions, and these responses are published, the Australian community becomes better informed about the government's position on issues that are important to them.

Outside the parliamentary context, petitions serve a variety of important functions. Time and again at public hearings with petitioners the committee hears about the positive effects that petitioning can have within communities. The people organising petitions and gathering submissions often do so by sitting long hours in public with their petitions, talking to other Australians about issues on which they feel strongly. Sometimes the people they engage with had no idea the issue even existed. In other cases, petitioners can have robust discussions with others about the petition and its topic. In all cases, this sort of activity helps to advance the public discussion on these issues. This helps to keep average Australians more informed on the issues that are relevant in their communities, whether it be their local area, region, state or Australia as a whole.

Another aspect which is often emphasised at public hearings is the unifying effect that petitions can have within a community. Petitioners often tell us that they are buoyed by the level of community support their petitions receive and that communities are brought closer together by this activity. When considering petitions, the committee often sees how this can work in practice. Whether it is a local sporting club, a church group or a national non-government organisation, the communities that engage in petitioning activities are strengthened by the sense of common purpose their shared goal gives them.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend all Australians who engage in petitioning activities and members of this House who assist them. Even though ministers are often unable to grant requests made in petitions, this does not in any way detract from the value of petitions. I encourage my fellow Australians to maintain their passion and continue to petition the House.