There are few issues today as critical as democratic decline. Whether it is collapsing voter turnout rates or diminishing levels of social capital, all governments need to take immediate action to reverse these disturbing trends. I have devoted much of my 20 years as an academic to exploring how to increase citizen participation in politics. Now, as a Member of Parliament, I am honoured to be in a position where I can advocate for real policy change, starting with the following motion on e-petitions:
M-318 — February 14, 2012 — Mr. Stewart (Burnaby—Douglas) — That, in the opinion of the House, the Standing Orders should be amended and a new system should be created to allow Members of Parliament to sponsor electronic petitions on the Parliamentary website in the following manner: (a) unless otherwise stated, or not applicable, the requirements and guidelines for electronic petitions would be the same as the current requirements and guidelines for written petitions; (b) the Clerk of Petitions could invalidate an electronic petition if (i) it duplicates a petition that is already on the Parliamentary website, (ii) it does not follow the current requirements and guidelines for petitions; (c) the grounds on which a petition has been rejected would be posted on the Parliamentary website by the Clerk of Petitions; (d) an electronic petition would be posted on the Parliamentary website for an active submissions period of six months; (e) the Parliamentary website would indicate, for every petition therein, (i) the number of signatures collected, (ii) the date at which the petition would expire; (f) the names of the petitioners would not be posted online; (g) the House would put measures in place to avoid any spamming or automated signatures of electronic petitions; (h) upon reaching 50,000 signatures, (i) the petition would be submitted to the Speaker of the House, who would allocate one hour of debate on the petition in the House, unless there are grounds to dismiss the debate, (ii) this hour would be an extension of the normal sitting hours and would not change the order of business of the House, (iii) in particular, no debate on two petitions that are substantially the same would be allowed during the same session, (iv) if the Speaker of the House dismisses a debate, the grounds on which the decision was made would be posted on the Parliamentary website, (v) the petition would remain online until the expiry of the six-month period; (i) once an electronic petition would reach 25 signatures and would have expired on the Parliamentary website, the government would post its response to the petition on the Parliamentary website within 45 days after the expiry; and (j) online petitions would not replace the current paper petition system.While petitioning has been a central part of parliamentary practice for centuries, modern technology now provides an opportunity to enhance this tradition in a way that pulls more citizens into the political process. Under the current petitioning rules, residents of Canada can submit printed petitions with 25 or more signatures to their MP. The member then submits the petition to the House of Commons, and, if the paper petition meets certain technical criteria, the government is obliged to provide a response within 45 days.
This e-petitions motion modernizes this process in two ways.
- It increases access to the process by allowing petitioners to utilize social media and other online tools campaigns to raise awareness of their issue and gather signatures electronically.
- It forces parliamentarians to take petitions more seriously, with the requirement of a one hour debate in the House of Commons on petitions that have secured 50,000 or more signatures.
I am excited about working with my colleagues from all parties to move Canadian democracy forward, and to hear from you about how other participatory processes can be strengthened to allow for more civic engagement.
- Kennedy
FAQ
What are e-petitions?
E-petitions, or electronic petitions, are petitions that can be signed online. Like written petitions, signatories provide their name, email, phone number, and mailing address to validate their identities. While e-petitions have been implemented around the world, including in Quebec and the United Kingdom, systems and rules regarding these mechanisms differ.
What kind of e-petitions system is this motion proposing?
If implemented in the manner outlined in this motion, those interested in submitting an e-petition would seek sponsorship for it from a Member of Parliament, who would also assist with drafting. If the text is approved by the Clerk of Petitions, the e-petition would then be hosted on a Parliamentary website and be open to signatures for six months. If after six months the e-petition garners less than 50,000 signatures, but more than 25 as per the current rules, the government would post an official response on the e-petition’s webpage. If after six months the e-petition garners 50,000 or more signatures, the petition would then be submitted to the Speaker of the House who then allocates an hour of debate on the petition in the House of Commons.
What happens if this e-petition motion passes?
This motion would make it the opinion of the House that a new system should be created to allow MPs to sponsor electronic petitions on a special Parliamentary website. It would then fall to members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, which has the jurisdiction to amend Standing Orders, to forward a separate motion to implement an e-petitions system.
Why now?
A modern petitions process would bring the issues of Canadians past the doors of Parliament and directly into the chamber of the House of Commons. With a clear mechanism through which the collective action of individuals can advance dialogue on a national stage, it is hoped even more people will come forward to express their views.
I support this motion! What can I do to help?
Print out this petition and get everyone you know to sign it! Send completed petitions postage free to:
Kennedy Stewart, MP, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
For more background:
Assemblée nationale du Québec: “Starting an e-petition”
Her Majesty’s Government (UK): “How e-petitions work”
Further reading:
Ashe, Jeanette and Kennedy Stewart (2010) “Legislative Recruitment: Using diagnostic testing to explain underrepresentation” Party Politics.
Stewart, Kennedy (2003) Think Democracy: Options for Local Democratic Reform in Vancouver, Vancouver: Institute of Governance Studies, 123 pages.
Stewart, Kennedy (2007) “Write the Rules and Win: Understanding Citizen Participation Game Dynamics” Public Administration Review 67:6, 1067–1076.
