Digital petitions are easy to do and they have a significant impact
Petitions provide a way for people to express their views. They make a collective statement, serving as a measure of public concern or interest in a particular topic or issue.
Being able to express our opinions via petitions is an important part of our right to participate in democracy.
The more people who support a cause by signing petitions, the more influential the petition becomes. When decision-makers see a groundswell of public support or concern, they are more likely to take action to address the issue.
When you sign a petition, it is forwarded to a delegated person who keeps track of the support and passes it on to decision-makers who are responsible for addressing community concerns.
By adding your name to a petition, you are making a difference.
Did you know?
- Some government ministers approach AMCS to ask for responses from our supporters to ensure their plans are appropriate
- Certain legal processes involve seeking input from the public through consultations, sometimes multiple times (such as marine park reviews and applications for seismic blasting)
Even if there is no specific avenue for input, the public still needs to demonstrate their demand for a particular outcome.
For example, they were recently debating what their climate action plan will be in Queensland. They offered no way for supporters to voice their desires, so we must contact them en masse to try and push them to better outcomes.
This complexity can be confusing, given the various ways to take online action and how the government receives this information. It may seem overwhelming, unclear, and ineffective.
However, in reality, online actions are highly effective and crucial to creating political will and community pressure.
Types of actions you can take:
- Petition: Collects signatures for presentation to government ministers by our lead campaigners at a designated event
- Send Email: Sends an email to a specific decision maker – filling in boxes is a great way of getting attention
- Tweet: Tweet a preset message from the user’s X (formerly Twitter) account including hashtags
- Social media tag: Tagging a minister’s account to a post from the organisation
When our communities are active and engaged, we can compel our governments to do the right thing.
And if we don’t speak up against pollution, overfishing, or warming oceans, then who will?
You can make an impact by speaking up for our ocean wildlife.