Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I rise to speak about opportunities—providing opportunities and making the most of opportunities that open up before you. This week in parliament, I have been exceptionally fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the Learn. Earn. Legend! Work Experience in Government Program. This program has given 100 Indigenous secondary school students work experience for a week in the parliament and in Australia's government departments. This program is about providing opportunities to create experience in political offices and government offices in order to give young people opportunities to build their aspirations for the future.

The program was launched on Monday by my colleagues, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, and the Minister for Indigenous Employment, Economic Development, Sport, Social Housing and Homelessness, Senator Mark Arbib. Now in its second year, this program has built on its great achievements of last year.

As Australian legend and program ambassador, the inspirational Evonne Goolagong said this week:

This program is a strong example of the Government's commitment to attract more Indigenous people into the public service.

It is exactly the kind of work that our government needs to be doing. But it is also more than that: it is a strong example of the government's commitment to improving opportunities for young people.

One of those young people who stood ready to make the most of those opportunities was Charlie Cameron. Charlie was the student on placement with me this week, and I was pleased to provide Charlie with that opportunity. Charlie assisted me in writing this speech as part of his work experience activity program. Charlie currently lives in Newman, in my home state of Western Australia, and attends Marist College Ashgrove in Brisbane. He was born in Mount Isa and has moved around Australia, including living in Cairns, Darwin and Mornington Island. Charlie's people are from Mount Isa and Herberton, and he has English ancestry. His Aboriginal ancestry includes the Waanyi and Lardil people from North Queensland.

Charlie told me at the start of the program that he was looking forward to knowing about how the parliament works, how the people work and what it is like being a senator. He said that he was also looking forward to meeting new people who work here, in parliament. Well, I can say that Charlie has made the most of the opportunities presented to him through this program. Originally, Charlie had thought that being around Parliament House would be boring, but he has changed his mind about that now, which I am very pleased to know. He has enjoyed seeing how the place runs, and he thinks that question time is pretty funny. I think I mostly agree with Charlie. He has been a student at Marist Brothers Ashgrove for the last three years and reckons it has been the best choice he made in his life. I would like to congratulate Charlie on the fact that he has already made the most of the opportunities presented to him to continue at school.

For his young age, Charlie has already had a lot of life experiences. He thinks that, as a young Aboriginal person in 2011, he has had more opportunities than many in the past. He is pleased that he has the opportunity to go to school so that he can strive for his goals and that his school scholarship has helped him go further in life than otherwise might have been the case. Charlie says the motto for this program—the Learn Earn Legend—means: stay at school, get that job and be a legend! To me, after my experiences with Charlie, he is that legend.

Charlie's legends are Kathy Freeman and Preston Campbell. In Charlie's words:

Kathy Freeman is the first Aboriginal person ever to win the gold medal at the Olympics. Preston Campbell is another person that I look up to. He always thinks about Aboriginal people like trying to help them. He also made an event that was special for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people by making an Aboriginal All-Stars team to play against the NRL All-Stars.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well he comes from Inverell; he's got to be special.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Exactly. Charlie went on:

It is important just to close the gap between indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians.

I agree with Charlie: it is very important that we continue to close the gap in opportunity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians—in health, in education and in work. My hope is that we have contributed in some way to doing just that this week through this very important work experience program. I congratulate Charlie and his friends for making the most of this opportunity. I wish Charlie all the best for the future, in that traineeship he is aiming for next year and wherever life takes him. I congratulate him for making the most of his experience this week and for contributing to the speech that I have made to the Senate. I also extend my best wishes to all the students who have participated in the program.