We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to…
A petition is used to draw attention to an issue of public interest and requests the government to take a specific action.
Paper petitions are very effective because you only need 25 approved signatures. You then request a Member of Parliament (MP) to formally present your petition in the House of Commons, to which the government is required to formally respond to your petition in the House.
A similar provincial government paper petition process is also available to citizens and residents of each province and territory.
Each government has very specific (but slightly different) guidelines that must be followed to be formally presented in the House of Commons or in your provincial or territorial legislatures. Each signature is checked to make sure it meets the requirements – so it is always good to collect at least 30 signatures, in case some are disqualified.
Coalition Canada provides you with an Overview, a Guide and an Approved Paper Petition ready to use. Please read and follow the guidelines carefully so that your efforts are not wasted!