House debates

Monday, 17 September 2018

Committees

Petitions Committee; Report

10:01 am

Photo of Lucy WicksLucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

WICKS ( ) ( ): Today I present the 29th report of the Petitions Committee for the 45th Parliament, together with 24 petitions and seven ministerial responses to petitions previously presented.

Among the petitions I present today are three paper petitions of varying topics. One of these petitions requests that the House take action in relation to a building that has previously housed a military museum. With over 17,000 signatures, it is clear that paper petitions still have an important role in capturing local sentiment on community based issues.

In the bundle today are also three e-petitions with over 1,400, 2,500 and 7,700 signatures respectively. The e-petitions platform has ensured that the traditional process of petitioning remains relevant to all Australians, many of whom conduct a large part of their lives online, so it's encouraging for the committee to witness the continuing popularity of both paper and electronic petitions throughout the 45th Parliament. The committee seeks to further strengthen the public engagement with petitioning as it inquires into the future of petitioning in the House.

I look forward to updating the House further on the work of the Petitions Committee.