Make sure you read the general information on petitions before referring to the following frequently asked questions.
Signing a petition
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Who can sign a petition?
Any Victorian resident. This includes people under 18 years of age.
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Can I sign a petition on behalf of another person?
No, unless that person is incapable of signing for themselves, and only then if you have their consent.
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If I started the petition, can I sign it?
Yes.
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Can I sign a petition more than once?
No.
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I am trying to sign an e-petition, but my address is not accepted. What can I do?
Only Victorian residential addresses can be accepted for an e-petition. PO Box addresses are not accepted.
If the website is not able to correctly identify your address, please troubleshoot by:
- updating your browser to the latest version
- ensuring your browser location settings are enabled
- entering your address as it appears in Google Maps for example: Street Number, Street Name, Suburb, State.
Starting a petition
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Who can start a petition?
Any Victorian resident. This includes people under 18 years of age.
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Can my petition be in a language other than English?
Yes.
For paper petitions, please attach a certified English translation.
To start an e-petition in a language other than English use the following contacts:
For Council e-petitions, email epetitions.council@parliament.vic.gov.au or call (03) 9651 8678.
For Assembly e-petitions, email epetitions.assembly@parliament.vic.gov.au or call (03) 9651 8555. -
When creating an e-petition, my address is not accepted. What can I do?
We can only accept Victorian autocompleted addresses. PO Box addresses cannot be accepted.
If the website is not able to correctly identify your address, please try the following:
- update your browser to the latest version
- ensure your browser location settings are enabled
- enter your address as it appears in Google Maps, for example: Street Number, Street Name, Suburb, State.
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I submitted an e-petition but it’s not on the website. Where is it?
The Clerks or their offices review e-petition requests to ensure they comply with the rules of the House.
The Assembly also checks that the nominated member agrees to sponsor the e-petition.
Once approved, the e-petition will go live on the website and you will be notified via email.
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Can I start a paper petition and an e-petition on the same topic at the same time?
Yes.
If the wording is the same, they will be treated as the same petition and the signatures will be tallied together if they are presented on the same day.
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After a petition closes or is presented can I start a new petition with the same wording?
Yes.
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I want to start a petition, but there is already an active petition on the same topic. Can I still start my petition?
E-petitions about the same issue and requesting the same action cannot be open for signatures at the same time. Both the Assembly and Council have this rule.
If you still wish to start an e-petition, you have two options. You can:
- create an e-petition with the House which doesn’t active an e-petition on the same topic.
- wait until the active e-petition has been presented. Then, a new one can be started with the same topic and action.
Collecting signatures for your petition
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Will the Parliament promote my petition?
No. It is your responsibility to raise awareness about your petition and collect signatures.
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What is the minimum number of signatures required for a petition to be presented?
One.
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I have an e-petition on another website, can I upload these signatures?
No. The Council and Assembly can only accept e-petitions started on the Parliament of Victoria website. Signatures collected from other websites such as Change.org cannot be accepted.
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My e-petition is closed, what does this mean?
Your e-petition can no longer be signed.
Closed e-petitions can be veiwed on the Parliament website until they are presented.
In the Council, if an e-petition closes without a sponsor, it will remain on the Parliament website for 12 months. After this time, it will be deleted, including the personal information of those who have signed it.
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Can the closing date of an e-petition be changed?
In the Council, the person who started the petition can apply to change the closing date. The request must be made by emailing epetitions.council@parliament.vic.gov.au.
In the Assembly, only the sponsoring member can request a change in the closing date.
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What happens when my petition is presented in Parliament?
After closing, your petition will be presented by a member in Parliament. This means that your petition:
- is officially recorded by the Parliament
- becomes part of the public record, including the details of everyone who has signed.
A copy of your petition will be sent to the relevant minister.
In the Council, the Minister is required to provide a written response within 30 days. The response will be published on the Parliament website once received.
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Once a petition is presented, can I keep collecting signatures?
For the Council, yes. Contact us on epetitions.council@parliament.vic.gov.au or (03) 9651 8678 for more information.
For the Assembly, no. A petition closes once it is tabled. You may start a new petition with the same wording and actions.
Privacy and publication
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Will my personal details be published?
The personal details of those signing a petition will not be published online. However, all petitions – both electronic and paper – may be viewed in full, including names and addresses of signatories, after they have been tabled in the Parliament.
The email address of the principal petitioner will be published as the contact for the e-petition.
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Can I take my signature off an e-petition?
You may request to have your name removed from an e-petition before it closes. We cannot remove names once a petition has closed.
For Legislative Council e-petitions, contact us on epetitions.council@parliament.vic.gov.au or (03) 9651 8678.
For Legislative Assembly e-petitions, contact us on epetitions.assembly@parliament.vic.gov.au or (03) 9651 8555.
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What is the privacy policy?
The privacy statement explains what information is collected by the Department of the Legislative Assembly or the Department of the Legislative Council when you start or sign a paper petition or an e-petition.
You will be asked to acknowledge that you have read and understood the privacy statement when you start or sign a petition.
Download the privacy statement.
Still have questions?
For Legislative Council petitions, contact us on (03) 9651 8678 or email us at epetitions.council@parliament.vic.gov.au.
For Legislative Assembly petitions, contact us on (03) 9651 8555 email us at epetitions.assembly@parliament.vic.gov.au.
