A survey is asking what islanders think about petitions to Jersey's parliament.
It is part of a review to see what can be improved about both the online and paper-form systems.
Since e-petitions were introduced in 2018 years ago, only seven had drawn the 5,000 signatures required to potentially be debated by the States Assembly.
Those debates are not automatic, and depend on a States member bringing the topic to the Chamber. Even then, they are' in-committee' debates which do result in a vote being taken to enact any change.
Last September, the head of the The Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC), which has commissioned this review, said the e-petition system was 'very disrespectful' to the people who take the time to sign them.
Connétable Karen Shenton-Stone, Privileges and Procedures Committee Chair, says petitions are a popular way of lobbying politicians and shaping political discussion.
"Petitions are a fantastic way of ensuring topics that are important to Islanders are put on the political agenda, but it is timely that we seek the views of those who have engaged with the system, as well as those who have not, to consider how we might improve it for all Islanders going forward."
When an e-petition reaches 1,000 signatures it receives a response from the relevant minister. 87 petitions have passed that threshold.
The six that topped 5,000 signatures were:
- · To introduce rental price caps.
- · To extend the “hit-and-run” law to include cats.
- · To make Green Street a one-way road.
- · For the Courts to impose higher sentences for child-sex offences.
- · To write off prior-year income tax liability for those that were moved to the current-year basis.
- · To make old age pensions exempt from tax.
- · A reduction in road fuel duty.
The survey is open until 31 March and is available on the States Assembly website, and paper copies will be available from all Parish Halls. Feedback can also be provided by emailing statesgreffe@gov.je.
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