Keith Pitt (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to give a shout-out to the Bundaberg Christian College and their year 9 groups, 20 of which came through my office on 11 October. This is part of a year-long unique right-of-passage educational program, and I want to congratulate Sue Hibbard, the secondary schoolteacher who organised and coordinated all of these groups. Why was it so important? Because it was a little bit different. What it was about was ensuring that individual groups of students can come into a local MP's office, or somewhere like the city library or the Bendigo Bank or a post office, and they had some challenges put forward to them. They had to ask to speak to the nominated person. They had to ask four general questions. They had to introduce themselves and their team with a firm handshake and to look in the eye of the person they were speaking to. I think that's an incredibly good thing to be doing in terms of education, because it teaches them to be independent, to be organised, to be on time, to be confident and have a go. There were a few which were a little bit challenging for them to get past. The eye contact, I have to say, was difficult for a couple of participants, but they got through it. I want to congratulate the Christian college and, once again, Sue Hibbard for the work that she is doing to encourage independence in our young students and to encourage confidence, because, if I could give our young children anything at all, it would the confidence to get on with what it is that they want to achieve in their life. There are opportunities galore if you just have the will, if you want to do the work and you are confident enough to take it on.