To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.

The petition of the undersigned citizens respectfully shows: That the undersigned note that like anti-personnel landmines, anti-vehicle mines are indiscriminate in who they effect, that they disproportionately kill and maim civilians, they delay relief efforts in war affected countries and they go on killing for decades after the conflict has ended. We note that Australia’s existing stock of anti-vehicle mines is obsolete and only used for training purposes, so now is the perfect time to commit to supporting a ban on these indiscriminate weapons. We welcome the Australian Government’s support for further restrictions on the use of anti-vehicle mines, but believe such measures to be inadequate to address the humanitarian problems caused by anti-vehicle mines. We, your Petitioners, call on the Federal Government to:

• Legislate a ban on the production, transfer, importation and use of anti-vehicle mines in Australia and by Australians other than by the Australian Defence Forces for training in demining and avoiding the hazards of anti-vehicle mines; and
• Pass a motion supporting the development of an international treaty that would ban the production, transfer, importation and use of anti-vehicle mines globally.