Sharryn Jackson (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to congratulate the year 7 students at Edney Primary School. Last week I was delighted to be invited to address three classes of year 7 students in the library. I spoke about my role as a federal member of parliament and also about the parliament itself and how it operates. I understand that those classes will today be visiting the state parliament of Western Australia to see how that system operates.

I was grilled by these year 7 students asking lively and intelligent questions—questions that were more difficult to respond to than some I have had put to me by journalists. They were on my ambitions as a member of parliament; the qualifications necessary to be an MP; my views on the republic; petrol prices; climate change; the behaviour of politicians; the most important part of parliament; the time that we take to get to parliament, particularly from the west; how my family felt about this time away from home; how much I was paid; where I lived; and the question ‘What is the one thing I would do if I were fortunate enough to become PM for the day?’ I want to thank those students for what was a terrific time, and their teachers for inviting me. I know our future is in safe hands.