Petitions 101

A petition is a way for Canadian residents to ask federal government ministers questions about environmental and sustainable development issues and obtain a formal response.

Who can submit a petition?

Any Canadian resident—acting as an individual or on behalf of an organization—can submit a petition to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, who manages the process on behalf of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG).

What criteria must a petition fulfill?

For a petition to be eligible, it must address an environmental matter related to sustainable development that falls under the mandate of one or more federal departments or agencies.

Petitions in 6 steps

1. To submit a petition, a petitioner can complete the Online Submission Form or send it via email, mail or fax.

2. Within 15 days of receiving the petition, the OAG sends the petition to the relevant minister.

3. The minister sends a letter to the petitioner within 15 days acknowledging receipt of the petition.

4. The minister provides a response to the petitioner and to the OAG within the 120-day deadline.

5. The OAG posts a bilingual summary on its website.

6. On behalf of the OAG, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development provides Parliament with an annual report on petitions.

The OAG cannot take direct action to address issues raised in petitions.

The Auditor General Act requires ministers to answer a petitioner’s questions within 120 days. Ministers have discretion with respect to taking action on the issues raised.

The OAG cannot take direct action to address issues raised in petitions.

Email: petitions@oag-bvg.gc.ca

Telephone: 1-888-761-5953