Keith Wolahan (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the topic of public speaking—the power and joy of public speaking. The reason I do so is there was a competition in my electorate that was broken up into component parts in schools, and I was a judge in one of the schools in Beverley Hills Primary School. There, 20-plus students got up and delivered a speech without notes in front of judges, parents and peers. Many of those students were migrants to Australia who didn't have English as their first language. I want to speak to them, and I'm speaking from a place that has some extraordinary speaking talent and has seen some extraordinary speakers, from presidents to our prime ministers to visiting prime ministers, to very moving speeches in this place. This is not only the great hall of our democracy but it is also where the spoken word gets broadcast throughout our nation, particularly through the camera. I thank the Rotary Club of Mont Albert and Surrey Hills for organising this competition. Their current co-presidents are Rob Teese and Nigel Cooper.

When I was younger, I had a slight stutter, and my grandad encouraged me to stand up and speak more often. I'm very grateful to him for encouraging me to do that. I remember my very first speech in primary school—at a similar age to the students I was judging. I was giving a speech to thank the lollipop lady, who was retiring after 40 years. I thought I told a very funny joke when I said, 'After 40 years, she finally had it licked.' The laughter was a bit louder than what I've just received here, so thank you for that. It ignited an interest and a passion in speaking that, in part, has taken me to this place. To those students who had the courage to put their hands up in that competition, I say, 'Well done and keep it up.' In this evolving world, we don't know what the future jobs will be for you, but what we do know is that the power of speaking will be key to success in all of them, whether you are a nurse or a doctor giving comfort to a patient, or telling a parent that their child is ill; whether you are a teacher or a principal giving feedback to your class and inspiring them to push themselves to the next level, or even to enter a public speaking competition; whether you are a parent giving comfort to your child—like we saw in the Olympics, when that diver didn't achieve the results she wanted but her dad stood there and told her how proud he was of her and how proud her country was of her, and it was captured on camera.

Public speaking is often declaring your love for someone, declaring you're sorry for something that you did in front of others. It can be before a small crowd or a large crowd, but it is something we can all get better at with practice. Of course, there's a fear with public speaking. Everyone has it, that feeling of fight or flight; our heart-rates increase, our mouths get dry, and we would rather be anywhere else than where we are now. What we know, particularly in this place, is that you can overcome that fear with practice. For those who are starting out on their public-speaking journey, you're already good at it. Anyone who can tell a story is a good public speaker. If you are looking for an example to take to practise the craft, stand up in front of your class and tell a story. Tell a personal story about yourself. It has once been said that if you speak from the heart, you will connect to the heart. Learn to pause. When we pause, people digest what we've just said, and it also allows you the chance to think of what you will do next. Often, you'll speak without notes—and in this place, lots of us speak without notes whenever we can—but that comes with preparation for what we want to say. If people have turned up to listen to you, you owe them saying something that is worth listening to, and that comes with preparing. Then watch—watch others, watch what they do and, finally, watch yourself. It's often when we watch a video of ourselves that we'll self-correct.

To Beverley Hills Primary School and to every school that entered this competition, congratulations. Keep it up—I know that is a skill that will set your life up for success in the future.

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