Legislative Assembly guide to petitions

The right to petition Parliament

While the right to petition the Crown and Parliament dates back to Edward I, it was not until the last year of Richard II that Petitions were addressed to the House of Commons itself. The inherent right of citizens to petition the Parliament was confirmed by resolution of the House of Commons in 1669. This same right has been adopted by the Western Australian Parliament as part of our Westminster system of Parliament.

What is a petition?

Petitions are an ancient mechanism whereby the public can formally bring to the attention of the Parliament a grievance and request a remedy. They have been described as 'the oldest of all parliamentary forms, the fertile seed of all proceedings in the House of Commons'. Traditionally, petitions addressed to the Parliament take the form of a written document outlining an issue of concern, requesting the legislature to heed the ‘prayer’ of the petition and take some action. Subscribers to a petition provide their name, address and signature (or mark) and a member of Parliament presents the petition to the legislature on behalf of the petitioners. The petition is the only way an individual can directly place grievances before the Parliament.

Petition format:

The Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly set out how a paper petition must be prepared (see sample petition format) and how an e-petition can be commenced. A petition must be addressed to The Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. It should not be addressed to a Minister or the Government.

Presenting a petition:

Petitioners cannot personally present a petition to the House. They must request a Member to present it to the House on their behalf; they may ask either their local Member of Parliament or another Member.

Standing Orders require that a Member of Parliament will, prior to presenting a petition to the House, forward the petition to the Clerks-at-the-Table who, if the petition is in order, will certify that the petition conforms with the Standing Orders.

When presenting the petition, the Member rises to address the Speaker, announces the number of signatures, the subject of the petition and reads the requested action or remedy. The petition is then received by the Assembly. A summary of the text of the petition will then be recorded in the Assembly's Votes and Proceedings, appear in the Tabled Papers database and the full text is recorded in Hansard.

Conformity with Legislative Assembly Standing Orders:

The Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly set out some common sense and simple rules governing the format and presentation of petitions, including provisions for both paper petitions and e-petitions. It is important that those preparing a petition keep these requirements in mind before collecting signatures or commencing an e-petition. This will help avoid the possibility of the petition not being accepted.

Below is the full text of Chapter 10 – Petitions, which includes the provisions for e-petitions.

Chapter 10 - Petitions

Contents of petitions:

64. A petition will -

1. Be legible.
2. Be addressed to the Speaker and the Assembly.
3. State the action or remedy sought from the Assembly.
4. Be in English or be accompanied by a translation certified to be correct by the lodging member.
5. Contain at least one signature.
6. Contain the action or remedy sought on the top of every sheet.
7. Contain the names and addresses of the petitioners and their own signatures or marks, except in case of incapacity or sickness where someone else may sign on their behalf.
8. Not contain signatures pasted or otherwise transferred to the petition.
9. Be respectful and temperate in its language.
10. If from a corporation, be made under its common seal.
11. An e-petition will —
1. Be signed by the person promoting the petition (“the Principal Petitioner”).
2. Be signed by persons electronically by filling out their correct details and personally agreeing to join the e-petition.
3. Otherwise comply with this Chapter.

Petitions will not contain:

65. A petition will not —

1. Have letters, affidavits, or other documents attached to it.
2. Be lodged by a member who has signed the petition as a petitioner.
3. Make an application for direct grant of public money to be paid to an individual.
4. In addition to the above, an e-petition will not be signed by a person who is not a resident of Western Australia, or a corporation without its registered office in Western Australia.

Procedure for lodgement and presentation

66. The procedure for the lodging and presentation of a petition will be -

1. The member must write the number of signatures contained in the petition on the front sheet and sign the front sheet.
2. The Clerk will certify on the petition that it is in conformity with the Standing Orders.
3. The member presenting the petition will read the prayer, announce the subject matter of the petition and the number of signatures attached to it unless the Speaker determines otherwise.
4. The petition will be received unless the Assembly or the Speaker determine otherwise.
5. No discussion of the subject matter is allowed.
6. The procedure for the posting and facilitation of an e-petition will be —
1. The petition must be facilitated by a member (“Facilitating Member”) and lodged with the Clerk for posting on the Parliament’s website for a nominated period (“posted period”).
2. The posted period for an e-petition is to be a minimum of one week and a maximum of six months from the date of posting.
3. The Facilitating Member must provide the Clerk with a signed acknowledgment that they are prepared to facilitate the e-petition.
4. Once posted an e-petition cannot be altered other than by order of the Speaker.
5. Once the posted period for an e-petition has expired, a paper copy (including the details of the persons who signed the petition) will be presented to the Assembly by the Facilitating Member.
6. An e-petition which has been posted but not presented to the Assembly prior to the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly, may be presented in the subsequent Parliament and become a petition of the subsequent Parliament.
7. The procedure for lodgment and presentation of an e-petition is otherwise as set out in this Chapter.

Petition referred to committee

67. A petition may be referred by motion to a committee.

e-Petitions:

The Legislative Assembly now provides the option for petitions to be submitted electronically, known as e-petitions. This modern approach enhances accessibility and engagement by allowing residents of Western Australia to support petitions online. E-petitions are governed by the Standing Orders of the Assembly and must comply with the same standards as traditional paper petitions, with additional requirements for electronic facilitation.

An e-petition must be promoted by a Principal Petitioner who resides in Western Australia (or, if a corporation, has its registered office in Western Australia) and facilitated by a Member of the Legislative Assembly. The petition is posted on the Parliament’s website for a nominated period, during which eligible individuals can join by providing their details electronically.

You can request a new e-petition or browse open e-petitions on the Parliament web site.

Frequently Asked Questions – e-Petitions:

1. What is an e-petition?

An e-petition is an electronic version of a petition that allows residents of Western Australia to support a request to the Legislative Assembly online. It is posted on the Parliament’s website for a set period and must comply with the Standing Orders of the Assembly.

2. Who can sign an e-petition?

Only residents of Western Australia are eligible to sign an e-petition. Corporations may also sign if their registered office is located in Western Australia.

3. How do I sign an e-petition?

• Visit the Parliament’s website and select e-Petitions from the Quick Links or Get Involved menu.
• Find the petition you want to support and click Sign Petition.
• Accept the conditions of use.
• Enter your details: name, address (including postcode), and email address.
• Click Verify Email Address. You will receive an email with a validation link.
• Click the link within 24 hours to confirm your signature.
• Return to the petition page and click Submit.

Tip: If you don’t receive the email, check your spam/junk folder. If the link has expired or you encounter an error, start the process again.

4. How do I start an e-petition?

• Go to the Parliament’s website and select Request a new e-Petition.
• Complete the request form. A PDF will be emailed to you within 10 minutes.
• Find a Member of the Legislative Assembly to act as the Facilitating Member.
• The Facilitating Member will lodge the petition with the Clerk for posting on the Parliament’s website.
• Once approved, you will receive an email confirming the petition is open for signing.

5. How long will an e-petition be available for signing?

An e-petition can be posted for a minimum of one week and a maximum of six months from the date of posting.

6. What happens after the e-petition closes?

• The system automatically closes the petition after midnight on the closing date.
• Duplicate signatures are removed, and the final count is updated.
• A PDF of all signatures is generated and emailed to the Principal Petitioner.
• The Facilitating Member presents the petition to the Legislative Assembly.

7. Can an e-petition be changed after it is posted?

No. Once an e-petition is posted on the Parliament’s website, it cannot be altered except by order of the Speaker.

8. What happens if the Assembly is dissolved before my e-petition is presented?

An e-petition that has been posted but not presented before dissolution may be presented in the subsequent Parliament and become a petition of that Parliament.

9. I’m having trouble signing an e-petition. What should I do?

• Ensure you entered all required details correctly.
• Postcode must match the suburb/town/city. If your suburb isn’t listed, check spelling or verify on Australia Post.
• If the Submit button doesn’t appear, check for highlighted errors and correct them.
• If you don’t remember signing before, sign again—the system will remove duplicates.

10. How is my personal data handled?

All electronic personal data relating to e-petitions is deleted within six months after the petition is printed and presented to the Assembly.

Caution on Incentives:

The Legislative Assembly of Western Australia strongly discourages offering any form of incentive, reward, or inducement to individuals in exchange for signing petitions. This includes, but is not limited to, monetary payments, gifts, discounts, or any other benefits. Violations of this prohibition undermine the integrity of the petition process. It is essential that all signatures on petitions are given freely and voluntarily to ensure a fair and transparent democratic process.

Sample Paper petition format:

At least one signature on the face page is required.

The request for action must appear on each page which has signatures.