Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker, if you look up in the gallery you will see the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program. You will also see the Northern Mallee Leadership Program. These are young men and women from Australia, and my patch, who are here to learn about how they can be better leaders and make their community greater. A country gets the government it deserves, and a community is only made great when people work hard and contribute.

Last night, I hosted some of these people in the dining hall and the sometimes-honourable member for Bendigo hosted the other guys in the dining hall, but it was a very good dialogue and discussion. They are here to talk to different members of parliament and gain a greater appreciation of the Australian political system. The program is 23 days, 118 speakers, 17 workshops and 28 site visits over nine months. It is quite extensive. It is something that we should roll out Australia wide, rather than just in Victoria, as we can build up the people who live in our communities.

I want to say to the people in the gallery that with opportunity comes responsibility—the great words of Winston Churchill. You are having a great opportunity to build your capacity, but there is a responsibility to give back to your community, and I purely believe that you will do it. It is a pleasure to be able to host you in the parliament today.