South West students given chance to deliver ‘first speech’ to Parliament as part of national competition

Pretend it’s your first day in Parliament, you’re standing before your colleagues for the first time — what would you say? Students from South West schools may have the chance to do just this, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick and Forrest MHR Ben Small launching the My First Speech Competition for South West schools earlier this week. The national competition challenges students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to envision themselves as newly elected members of Parliament and write a 300-word speech, focusing on a topic of their choosing. The winning entrant from each year group, accompanied by a parent or guardian, will be flown to Canberra to deliver their speeches at Parliament House and participate in a tailored program to deepen their understanding of the legislative process. Mr Small said it was an exciting opportunity for students to shine a national spotlight on the issues most important to them. “The students participating in this competition will be our local leaders of tomorrow, and I am excited to give them a head start on their futures with this program,” he said. Mr Dick said one of his key priorities as Speaker was to promote parliamentary education to students across the country. “This is yet another exciting way that young people can take an active role in our democratic system,” he said. “This competition will provide high school students with the chance learn more about the way our nation’s democracy works, and how actively engaging with the parliamentary process can draw attention to the issues that are most important to them.” The submission deadline for the competition is set for 11.59pm AEST on September 15. To learn more about the competition and submit entries, students can visit the dedicated competition website.