Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to share an experience that I believe is absolutely critical and important to our democracy, its principles and the way in which people develop an understanding of our parliament. I had the opportunity yesterday of speaking to the three young finalists who were part of My First Speech, which was organised by the International Community Relations Office, which was formerly the Parliamentary Relations Office. What I saw there were three incredible young people. If I was the member for Canberra, I would certainly be worried about the winner of that competition, because he spoke very eloquently, knew his material and contributed in the spirit in which the program was established.

Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They will be three great Labor candidates.

Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They may be at that, member for Bass. I also enjoyed having the Deputy Speaker, the Hon. Peter Slipper, coming to Thornlie in my electorate and running a session with the students of Thornlie Senior High School. I was talking with the students afterwards and I asked them how they found the experience. What they liked was the fact that they went through a process that we take for granted in this House. What I hope to see is that at some point all of us as parliamentarians in this House indulge ourselves in the same process so that we can teach what this institution and democracy are about and the importance of people having the freedom of speech to speak on matters that are important to them as individuals. We can teach them to understand that we operate within a party context but also within a Westminster system of government with tiers of government. What we do not see very often is young people having an understanding of how this great House works.

To the credit of those teachers who take year 11 and year 12 classes through the various aspects of political structures and the range of views that exist—from fascism through to the democracy that we enjoy—that is extremely enlightening for future generations. I know that in this House, while we may be separated in terms of being in parties of differing political persuasions, the friendships that we develop within that context enable us to better contribute to the public life of all Australians. When I look at the references where the display is, I see some great statements from future young leaders. They reflect many of the issues that are extremely important to them.

Nevertheless, as the Speaker, Mr Harry Jenkins, said yesterday, some of the comments were not dissimilar to the comments that we were once making in the campaigns we were involved in when we were much younger—when we were in our twenties.

Wyatt Roy (Longman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Back in the day!

Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Some of us have aged, but some of us believe that we have not. Let me say that the beauty of that is that they are feeling empowered to express themselves. I know that when the Deputy Speaker was with the Thornlie group was that what they liked was the fact that they had a part to play. When we talked afterwards, they said that they had a better understanding of some of the interactions between the functions of the office. Most young people will see the Prime Minister or the Leader of the Opposition, because of where the cameras are. What they do not look at is the roles and functions of the clerks of the House and the staff who support us in the parliament. Developing that understanding will serve us well in the future.

Let me say that the quality of those speeches that I heard yesterday was outstanding. We have three young people who, if they follow their destiny and their dream, will, I have no doubt, be standing in this chamber and in our main chamber contributing to the debates on some of the legislation that they will have to deal with in the future. What I think is absolutely critical is that all of us play a role in developing our understanding as a nation not only of the freedoms that we have and the democracy that we enjoy but also of a parliamentary system, at both the national and the state and territory level, that enables ordinary Australians to become members of those great houses.