DEMOCRACY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

In a democracy, the participation of the common public is not a complete process. The participation gets completed when ideas and suggestions coming out of it are debated, acted upon, and evaluated.

Example--

A public petition system is a way for citizens to express their views and request action from the government on various issues. Both the US and Canada have public petition systems, but they differ in some aspects. Here are some comparisons:

- In the US, the right to petition is protected by the **First Amendment** of the Constitution⁵. In Canada, the right to petition is derived from the **Bill of Rights** of 1689 and the **Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms**¹.

- In the US, there are two types of petitions: **federal** and **state**. Federal petitions can be submitted to the White House through the **We the People** platform⁷, which requires at least **100,000 signatures** within **30 days** to receive a response from the government⁵. State petitions can be submitted to the state legislatures or the public through the **initiative and referendum** process, which allows citizens to propose or repeal laws or constitutional amendments⁶. The requirements and procedures for state petitions vary by state⁶.

- In Canada, there are also two types of petitions: **electronic** and **paper**. Electronic petitions can be submitted to the House of Commons through the **e-petitions** website², which requires at least **5 Canadian citizen supporters** and the sponsorship of a Member of Parliament to proceed¹. Any petition that receives **500 signatures** within **120 days** is submitted to the House of Commons for response¹². Paper petitions can be circulated and submitted to the House of Commons through a Member of Parliament, following a specific format and content¹⁴. Paper petitions require a minimum of **25 signatures**⁴.

- In the US, petitions can address any issue that falls under the federal or state jurisdiction, and can ask the government to take or not take a specific action⁵⁶. In Canada, petitions must address an issue that is under federal jurisdiction, and must ask the government to take or not take a specific action¹.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 18/02/2024

(1) Right to petition in the United States - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_petition_in_the_United_States.

(2) Guide to Creating and Submitting a Petition - House of Commons of Canada. https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Home/AboutContent?guide=PIGuideForPetitioners.

(3) How to Petition the Government Online - ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/petition-the-government-in-5-minutes-3321819.

(4) Initiatives and referendums in the United States - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiatives_and_referendums_in_the_United_States.

(5) Home - Petitions - House of Commons of Canada. https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Home/Index.

(6) Preparing and Submitting Petitions | Citizens for Public Justice. https://www.cpj.ca/preparing-and-submitting-petitions.

(7) Canada’s New Parliamentary E-Petition System. https://centreforinquiry.ca/canadas-new-parliamentary-e-petition-system/.

A public petition system in Great Britain is a way for British citizens and UK residents to ask for a change to the law or to government policy. They can create or sign a petition on the [UK Government and Parliament site](^1^) or petition Parliament through their MP¹².

Some features of the public petition system in Great Britain are:

- A petition needs at least  5 supporters to be published on the site¹.

- A petition gets a **response from the government after 10,000 signatures

- A petition is considered for a debate in Parliament after 100,000 signatures

- The Petitions Committee, which comprises up to 11 backbench MPs from different parties, reviews all petitions and can press for action from the government or Parliament¹.

- The public can also follow the progress of petitions and debates on the site or on social media¹.

(1) How petitions work - UK Government and Parliament. https://petition.parliament.uk/help.

(2) How petitions work - UK Government and Parliament. https://petition.parliament.uk/help.

(3) Petition Parliament and the government - GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/petition-government.

(4) UK Parliament petitions website - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Parliament_petitions_website.

A public petition system is also a way for citizens to express their views and request action from the government on various issues in Australia and New Zealand. However, they have some differences from the systems in the US and Canada. Here are some comparisons:

- In Australia, there are two types of petitions: **electronic** and **paper**. Electronic petitions can be created and lodged through the [Parliament website](^1^), and require at least **5 supporters** and the sponsorship of a Member of Parliament to proceed³. Paper petitions can be circulated and submitted to the House of Representatives through a Member of Parliament, following a specific format and content³⁴. Paper petitions require a minimum of **25 signatures**⁴. Petitions are accepted by the House if they conform to certain rules and ask for action on something that the Parliament has the power to make laws on³⁵.

- In New Zealand, there are also two types of petitions: **electronic** and **paper**. Electronic petitions can be created and lodged through the [Parliament website](^6^), and require the sponsorship of a Member of Parliament to proceed⁶. Paper petitions can be circulated and submitted to the House of Representatives through a Member of Parliament, following a specific format and content⁶. There is no minimum number of signatures required for either type of petition⁷. Petitions can address any issue as long as it fits certain criteria and asks the House to take a specific action⁶.

- In Australia, petitions are considered by the **Petitions Committee**, which comprises up to 11 backbench MPs from different parties. The committee reviews all petitions and can press for action from the government or Parliament³. The public can also follow the progress of petitions and debates on the website or on social media³. A petition gets a **response from the government** after it is presented to the House³.

- In New Zealand, petitions are considered by the **relevant select committee**, which is a group of MPs who examine a particular subject or area of government. The committee can invite the petitioner and other interested parties to make submissions or give evidence in support of the petition⁶. A petition may also lead to a **report** from the committee, which can include recommendations to the government or the House⁶. The government must respond to the report within **60 working days**⁶.

- In Australia, there is no provision for **citizens-initiated referendums**, which are binding votes on a proposed law or policy initiated by the public. However, some states and territories allow for such referendums at the local level⁸.

- In New Zealand, there is a provision for **citizens-initiated referendums**, which are non-binding votes on any issue initiated by the public. To trigger such a referendum, proponents must submit a petition to Parliament signed by **10 percent** of all registered electors within **12 months**[^10^]. The government can decide whether to act on the outcome of the referendum or not[^10^].

Source: Conversation with Bing, 18/02/2024

(1) e-petitions – Parliament of Australia. https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions.

(2) Petitions – Parliament of Australia. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter17/Petitions.

(3) How do I start a petition to parliament? How many signatures do we need .... https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/your-questions-on-notice/questions/how-do-i-start-a-petition-to-parliament-how-many-signatures-do-we-need-what-can-we-do-to-get-this-happening.

(4) Petitions - Parliamentary Education Office. https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/having-your-say/getting-involved/petitions.

(5) Guide for petitions - New Zealand Parliament. https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/have-your-say/guide-for-petitions/.

(6) Guide for petitions - New Zealand Parliament. https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/have-your-say/guide-for-petitions/.

(7) Petitions FAQ - New Zealand Parliament. https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/have-your-say/petitions-faq/.

(8) Start a petition - New Zealand Parliament. https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/have-your-say/start-a-petition/.

(9) Referendums in New Zealand - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_New_Zealand.

(10) Petitions – Parliament of Australia. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Petitions.

(11) Now it’s easier to start, share and sign a petition - New Zealand .... https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/now-it-s-easier-to-start-share-and-sign-a-petition/.