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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-07-18 Daily Xml
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YOUTH PARLIAMENT

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:29): I am very pleased to rise this afternoon to speak on the 2012 Youth Parliament (YP). The YMCA South Australian Youth Parliament is supported by the Office for Youth and the Law Foundation. The 17th Youth Parliament brought together about 70 young South Australians between the ages of 16 and 25, including a strong contingent from regional South Australia and the Migrant Resource Centre.

The program is partly about civics education but overwhelmingly the participants benefit from a focus on holistic personal development. South Australians from all walks come together for a range of activities from public speaking to recreation to team-building and so on. It is a brilliant opportunity for young people to grow and shine. Lauren Tropeano, the 2012 Youth Premier, put it this way:

At a most basic level, YP is about educating young people about the Parliamentary system, developing public speaking skills and fostering our future leaders. But it is so much more. YP provides a setting for youth to engage in their community, have a voice and act on what they truly believe in. The experience is as invaluable as the friendships formed along the way.

The program is highly regarded in this parliament. I know that many members back the program with direct financial sponsorship. I know that at least five members currently employ former YP participants as advisers. My own adviser, Sandy Biar, participated in four youth parliaments. Other distinguished former participants include His Worship Glenn Docherty, Mayor of Playford, and the Hon. Kate Ellis, federal member for Adelaide.

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: John Gardner.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: And John Gardner, I am reminded by my honourable colleague Michelle Lensink. For a number of years the parliament itself has backed the Youth Parliament program by inviting the Youth Parliament to use the parliamentary chambers and be recorded by Hansard. I must express my disappointment at the level of support offered this year. The discovery of asbestos in the roof of the House of Assembly chamber meant the closing of the House of Assembly chamber. Both houses could have shared the Legislative Council chamber. Alternatively, sitting in the week after this one would have enabled the House of Assembly to consider Legislative Council amendments on bills that have already been passed and would have allowed the YP to maintain its access to the house.

Instead, the House of Assembly decided to sit in our chamber last week during the very week of school holidays when this chamber is dedicated to Youth Parliament. With a matter of days' notice, Youth Parliament was told that access to the parliament had been withdrawn and arrangements had to be made for two of the planned sitting days to be relocated to Rostrevor. Let us be frank: it was not the same; the program is not called 'youth sitting on plastic chairs debating at Rostrevor'. I am disappointed that the parliament did not do better in honouring our long-standing words of support for Youth Parliament with action.

The fact that the program was nonetheless highly successful is a tribute to the resilience and commitment of the YMCA, the task force and the participants. I congratulate His Excellency Thomas Manning, the 2012 Youth Governor, and the excellent task force for a fantastic year. Thom brought to the role the energy, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness which are his trademarks. The fact that Thom put off much-needed oral surgery to be part of Youth Parliament is indicative of his dedication. Of the 14 bills debated by the Youth Parliament this year, six were passed. They dealt with issues as broad as rural health, transport and development, jumps racing, tertiary education and migrant support.

The Youth Governor for 2013 is His Excellency Aaron Dela Paz and, on behalf of the parliament, I congratulate him. He has a clear vision to develop the program and has identified three areas of focus: grassroots promotion of the program in schools, universities and local community groups; communicating that Youth Parliament is for all comers; and improving the teaching of skills to the participants, particularly in speech writing and public speaking during the time preceding the residential week. We wish him well in his goals, and in bringing together an effective task force and participants for next year. We look forward to welcoming them home in 2013.

In conclusion, I hope that all members of the council will join me in reaffirming our commitment to foster the development of South Australian youth. When young people reaffirm enduring truths, they often challenge us to rediscover the optimism and passion of youth in pursuing those shared values. When young people assert more challenging ideas, we need to be alert to the buds of emerging ideas, or at least use that contrast as an opportunity to reaffirm our own direction.

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