Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last month I wrote to all of the high schools in my electorate of La Trobe to invite two students from each school to attend a Make Poverty History forum at the Belgrave Heights Christian School in my electorate. The forum was organised in conjunction with Vision Generation, VGen—the 15- to 24-year-old arm of World Vision—and generously hosted by Belgrave Heights Christian School. I thank Andy Callow and all his staff and students for doing a fantastic job in hosting this function. VGen aims to ‘inspire, educate and empower young people in the fight against global poverty and injustice’ through fundraising and advocacy initiatives. In attendance were VGen chair, Miss Alana Smith, and vice chair, Mr Mark Cox. I congratulate Alana and Mark. I have met them on numerous occasions. They are exceptionally passionate, have a great vision and are fantastic ambassadors for VGen.

The forum, which was held last Wednesday, 4 October 2006, was a great success. It provided an excellent opportunity for the young people of La Trobe to share their views with each other. Students from each school represented delivered presentations to the forum, voiced their opinions, passionately debated ideas and exchanged views. It was an incredible thrill to see how inspired our young people are to make poverty history. There was a real buzz in the room.

Students Tim Streckfuss and Erica Brant and teacher Mr Colin Payne represented Kambrya College. Tim handed out candles and sang a song he had written about poverty, and I congratulate him for doing so. Erica asked the forum to imagine the horrors of poverty. St Joseph’s Regional College was represented by students Joshua Hore and Lukas Lum and teacher Mr Michael Turner. Joshua and Lukas performed a role-play comparing a child from the USA with a hungry child from Ethiopia. Representing St Francis Xavier College were students Beauheme Prussner, Joshua McKendry-Dow and Alyce Johnson and teacher Mr Adrian Peacock. Alyce and Beauheme discussed Third World debt relief. Hillcrest Christian College was represented by students Bevan Wang and Adele Teden and teacher Mr Geoff Grace and actively participated in group discussions.

Beaconhills College was represented by students Sarah McNeilage, Lauren Prosser and Madelaine Brooke and teacher Mr Will Hones. The girls delivered a very passionate presentation about what could be done and what they were intending to do at their school to make poverty history. Students Liam Harris and Jacqui Ryder, accompanied by the principal, Wayne Burgess, represented Emerald Secondary College. I congratulate Wayne as a principal for getting involved with this project. Liam and Jacqui talked about Millennium Development Goal No. 1. Belgrave Heights Christian School was represented by students Amber Thiele and Isabell Holt as well as the principal, Andy Callow, who hosted the event, and teacher Mr Lance Davidson.

Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Andy Callow is a top man.

Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is a good man, isn’t he? Amber and Isabell talked about good and bad aid and concluded that microcredit is an excellent form of aid. Students Samantha Royce, Justine Glover and teacher Mr Grant Nichol from Upwey High School also actively participated in group discussions and debate.

I was delighted to be able to inform the forum of aid initiatives the government has recently announced to make poverty history. Overall, this was a fantastic occasion. Again I congratulate World Vision VGen on their great work and their participation. The way they have dealt with me has been exceptional. They are very young, passionate people—very persuasive too. I congratulate all those participants from all the schools and the teachers on making this a fantastic day.

I have made many speeches now on Make Poverty History and I fully support the MDGs. I congratulate our federal government on the recent announcement which the Treasurer made in South Africa. Australia made a commitment of $136 million to the World Bank to relieve debts of some of the world’s poorest countries. This payment was in addition to the $12 million which Australia has already provided to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for debt relief. Again, this is a big issue and I congratulate all those young people involved. They have my full support. Keep up the great work.