Petitions
It is the right of any person or organisation to petition Parliament
to obtain redress of grievances, or to ask it take some action or not
to do something that is contemplated. The right to petition
Parliament is of great antiquity.
The presentation of a petition to the Senate is a proceeding in Parliament
and is protected by parliamentary privilege. The publication of a petition
before presentation is not similarly protected. (See Chapter 2, Australian
Senate Practice, Parliamentary Privilege, Circulation of petitions.)
It is interesting to note that the Internet is now being used to call
for public support for petitions.
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