Lodge a petition
Part of the Engage with government topic
You can create and lodge a petition with the Queensland Parliament to be tabled at a Legislative Assembly and receive a response from a Minister.
On this page
In short
You can use this service to create a petition to be signed by members of the public to highlight an issue you want heard by the Queensland Legislative Assembly and engage Members of Parliament.
What you should know
Petitions allow you to make a formal written request to be heard by the Queensland Parliament on issues that are important to you and your community. It's an appeal to authority based on demonstrating public support of a particular cause or call for change.
For E-Petitions:
- only E-Petitions hosted by the Queensland Parliament's website are accepted by the Legislative Assembly
- online petitions hosted on other websites are considered non-conforming petitions and cannot be lodged.
Who can use this service
Any member of the community can create a petition but only one principal petitioner can be nominated to submit the petition.
- Once a petition has been created, you are not able to change who is principal.
- A company can be the principal, but it must use its Australian Company Number (ACN).
How to create a petition
Choose a petition type and follow the steps.
To support your request for change or action you can create a:
- E-Petition
- paper petition
- both.
The key difference between the paper-based and electronic petitions is how the process is started.
Paper petitions
Paper petitions are circulated for signatures first, then the completed paper petition must be verified and lodged by a member of the Legislative Assembly or the Clerk of the Parliament.
E-Petitions
For E-Petitions, the first step is to seek sponsorship of your petition by a Member of Parliament (MP) or the Clerk. View the Current Members list and please note:
- your sponsor does not need to be your local MP
- sponsorship does not mean the MP agrees with your petition
- members have no obligation to sponsor your petition.
If you have no MP sponsor, the Clerk of the Parliament can sponsor your E-Petition.
Create your E-Petition or paper petition via the Queensland Parliament website. When preparing your petition:
- be clear about what change you want made
- be direct in who the request is intended for
- provide information and evidence to support your request.
Petitions in Queensland are governed by the Standing order, and certain rules apply. Read the rules for lodging a petition.
Follow the final steps for the petition type you need to submit.
E-Petitions
E-Petitions can be open for signatures on the Queensland Parliament website for:
- a minimum period of 1 week
- a maximum period of 6 months.
The principal petitioner will choose the timeframe when they create the petition using the online form.
Once an E-Petition closes, it will be made available in hard-copy format for the Clerk in the sponsoring member's (or the Clerk's) name to present in on the next scheduled sitting day of the Legislative Assembly.
Paper petitions
Paper petitions have no closing date for signatures prior to lodging with a member or the Clerk.
Paper petitions must be verified and lodged by a member with the Clerk at least 2 hours prior to the sitting of the Legislative Assembly in which the petition is to be presented.
How long it takes
After a petition has been presented to the Legislative Assembly, it is referred to a Minister for response. The assigned Minister must provide a response to the petition within 30 days.
This response will be published on Parliament's website and a copy sent to the principal petitioner.
How much it costs
There is no fee for lodging an E-Petition or paper petition in Queensland.
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Managed by: Queensland Parliament