Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to make a speech on behalf of Sophia Huckel from the Blue Mountains Grammar School. Sophia spent a week during the last sitting period as a work experience student in my office and, due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn't able to make this speech while she was here. It has been a pleasure to witness a young person with such a passion for politics. I am reading this speech sight unseen. They are her words:

Four lessons politics has taught me about the world.

Firstly, the environment around us is everchanging. Therefore, it is imperative that we are guided by our core values. Our own personal ethical code must underscore every decision we make as individuals. Nowhere is this more apparent than in this senate chamber, where I have observed hours of deliberation over a single word in a proposed bill.

Secondly, as once encapsulated by Albert Einstein, possessing passionate curiosity is paramount. Curiosity is a stepping stone for all political progress, and without curiosity, it is impossible to learn, collaborate and enact change. My own personal curiosity over the past 4 days has allowed me to expand my understanding of the democratic process.

Thirdly, we must seek and encourage diversity of opinion. As a young person living in 2023, I find it distressing that my identity is often placed on a higher pedestal than my ideas. We must not live in an echo chamber. In order for growth and change, we must surround ourselves with unlike-minded people.

Finally, I have learnt that it is extremely difficult to write a 2-minute speech when I have so much more to say.

Thank you, Sophia, for being with us. I am sure you will have much more to say over your life, and I hope one day you are here to deliver your own words.