As part of their Year 12 Legal Studies Unit 4 Maddison Lyons and Callum Coates penned speeches on topics that mean a lot to them that they wanted politicians to hear from a young person’s perspective.
Over the sitting week in October, representatives of the House of Representatives and Senate sign up to amplify the voice and ideas of high school students to Parliament as an opportunity to raise the issues that matter most to the next generation, in their words.
This is how Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell came to read Maddison’s speech which resonated with the house.
“I need to address the topic of social cohesion,” Maddison’s speech, read aloud by Mr Birrell said.
“Social cohesion is the heartbeat of a thriving democracy.
“This is what I want to achieve for our community in ten years. Not only my community, but for all of Australia.
“Social cohesion is truly the most important factor to create a country that is welcoming to all.
“It is the invisible thread that binds us together ensuring our diverse society can come together, where we create communities where everyone feels valued and represented, where differences bring us together and are celebrated, where people of all walks of life can live together in harmony.
“But social cohesion doesn’t happen on its own. It requires deliberate action. This is where our Parliament must lead with vision and courage.
“Parliament can help achieve this goal by focusing on creating a more inclusive and representative government through education programs that support and recognise high school students from all cultures and backgrounds, guiding them into roles of leadership.
“Imagine a future where our Parliament reflects the true diversity of Australia, where young people like myself, are given the tools and opportunities to shape the laws and policies that impact their lives.
“Let us work together to ensure that in ten years’ time, Australia is not just a collection of communities, but a truly cohesive society where every individual is represented, respected and valued through our government.”
Mr Birrell explained that the ‘Raise Our Voices’ campaign is a great project and is to make sure that young people feel that they have a voice.
“Obviously you can’t pick every speech but we pick one that we think is particularly well-written and touches on a topic that we think needs to be aired in parliament so there is a closer connection between the member of parliament and people in the electorate,” Mr Birrell said.
“I chose Maddison’s because I like the way in which it was written and the fact that she talked about social cohesion and that it is important that everybody feels like they have a voice in this country.
“I thought that was really important for people to hear. I was very proud to read it to the chamber.
“I could see people on both sides of the chamber when I was reading that out, just nodding in agreement and what they are saying is ‘yes this young student from Yarrawonga has nailed it’.
“Social cohesion doesn’t happen on it’s own, it requires action. We must lead with vision and courage.
“When you get young people who can articulate a vision like that, I thought, ‘wow I want those words to be read out to parliament’.
“We have a representative democracy and that has worked really well for Australia and will continue to work if we have our representatives representing and really engaging with their community.
“Making speeches, debates and decisions here that reflect what the community wants.
“Callum’s was also an excellent speech too. A lot of speeches I get are fantastic.
“I just encourage students to keep entering. Just because it doesn’t get read out, it gets read and factors into my thinking and some of the speeches I give myself.
“It’s good to see how the students view the world.”
In the Senate in the same week, the Hon Senator Jana Stewart read Callum’s speech on the cost of living and what he believes government need to do to assist the Australian people.
“My name is Callum Coates, I'm 17 years old and I'm living in the Nicholls electorate,” Callum’s speech, read aloud by Senator Stewart said.
“Over the next decade, I envision a Victoria with affordable costs of living for all residents regardless of background or income.
“Inflation has made life difficult, with rising prices on groceries, rent, and everyday necessities. This issue affects not just me, but my friends, family, and everyone in our community.
“It’s crucial that we create a future where people can live comfortably without constantly worrying about how they’ll make ends meet.
“Investing in renewable energy infrastructure would cut power bills for households strained by costs.
“Supporting local small businesses and farmers through tax incentives or subsidies could lessen our dependence on imports and their inflated costs.
“Improving financial education in schools would equip the public with skills for budgeting wisely in unpredictable economic times.
“These strategies, among others, hold promise for relieving cost pressures and strengthening community well-being.
“In closing, taming inflation must be a top priority for policymakers dedicated to building a just and sustainable society for all.
“I urge our representatives to pursue practical solutions and work towards a Victoria where every resident can live without undue financial stress.
“Together, through compassion and innovation, we can fight to ensure future prosperity remains within reach of every member of our community.”
Yarrawonga College P-12 VCEVMPDS Teacher Jim Gillies said this was a fantastic opportunity and the P-12 school community were elated to have both Maddison and Callum’s speeches read out in Parliament.
“Maddison’s speech centred around social cohesion and was read out by Sam Birrell in the House of Representatives whilst Callum’s centred around the cost of living and was read out in the senate,” Mr Gillies said.
“It was satisfying seeing young people’s voice being heard in parliament and it resonated well with our year 12 study of Legal Studies Unit 4 which focused on parliament and the people.”
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