Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 17 April this year I had the great pleasure of visiting a school in my electorate, Nunawading Christian College—a great school with a really well-earned reputation—which is growing bigger and better by the year. I quite regularly visit the school and it is really pleasing to see how it has come on in the time that I have been the member for Deakin

Not only do they have a brand-new hall there, which was built with BER funds, but they now also have a brand-new oval. The school is just growing and expanding as not only its facilities but also the teaching inside it is recognised by the wider community.

On the Wednesday, 17 April, my great privilege was to escort our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to the school, along with the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Peter Garrett. We went there to hold not only a question and answer session with the senior school students about—of all things—education but also a general question and answer session. It was a really good event. Approximately 180 students attended—the senior school students, plus the year 6 students. The year 6 students got to come in as well because a group of them was going to be visiting Parliament House here in Canberra. They subsequently did that, last week, and they had a great experience by coming up here. The school does that program every year and it is very encouraging to see our local schools so interested in the work that all of us do here in parliament.

On that day, however, our question and answer session was filmed for posterity. The students were particularly interested in asking questions about how their education experience could be made better and how schools such as theirs could be made better. Of course, that debate has gone on in here since that time as well. As I said, it is really interesting to see that students of that age are interested in what we do as politicians.

Also, on the same day, I had the great privilege of hosting a community cabinet in the Deakin electorate. That was held at Norwood Secondary College, which is another excellent school within the electorate. These days, Norwood is considered to be quite an old school, but it also has a very good reputation in that part of Ringwood. Many families choose to send their children there from quite some distance away. The community cabinet itself was attended by 380 people and I am told that it booked out in about three days, which I am told is extremely fast. It was amazing to see how many people turned up and all the different issues they came with. The opportunities they had to meet with ministers and to talk them about their particular issues and to ask questions from the floor made for a really fantastic night for everyone involved.

I would especially like to thank the people who were involved at Norwood Secondary College itself for making the event what it was, because without people on the ground to organise large events like that they can easily descend into chaos, and this one most certainly did not. Vin Virtu, the principal of Norwood Secondary College, was more than willing to assist and did a great job in introducing people on the night. I think the students of the Norwood Secondary College vocal ensemble stole the show. Their performance of the national anthem, which they sang, was just fantastic. I thank the students: Elise Gaudion, Victoria Heard, Lauren Arnett, Ellie Brindle, Mzimazisa Mpofu, Joseph Jackson, Joshua Loh and Luke Nichol. To be able to sing, with that quality, unaccompanied in front of 380 people is really special.

A large number of ministers and parliamentary secretaries were also there and everyone spoke. As I said, the audience got to ask some very in-depth questions, which I thought were very considered. Sometimes at large events you can expect things to come out of left field. There were a few of those, but they were all really well put together questions. I think it is a great privilege to be at a meeting such as that and be able to tell ministers of our government that these are the people of the electorate and this is how thoughtful and considered they are when they ask a question. Again, it is great to see not only that respect for the parliamentary process but also the knowledge of people who are not directly part of our process. It is true to say that they watch what we do in here and they know and understand what we do in here. I think that is a great thing for all of us. It reminds us all that we need to perform at our best and we need to be on our best behaviour in a place like this. This place has its good days and not so good days. I am one of those people who like to advertise our best days.