Page: 22013
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER (North Shore) [5.52 p.m.]: I am pleased to inform the House that tomorrow the Federal member for North Sydney, the Hon. Joe Hockey, and I will host a visit to Parliament by student leaders from all the secondary schools in my electorate. I feel privileged to be doing this. I have a high regard for the student leaders in my electorate and I am thrilled that all but one school is able to send two representatives to join us. I very much look forward to hearing the students' views on local issues, particularly those that affect young people. I know from discussions I have had with young people in the past that there will be a wide-ranging discussion. Along with some of my parliamentary colleagues on the Coalition side, I sent a survey to young people aged under 25 when the issue of P-plate drivers was in the news and I received good, sensible and committed responses from them. It is terribly important that we engage young people in discussions about policy and future directions and that we are aware of the issues that are important to them.
The students who will join me tomorrow in this place are two representatives of the Student Representative Council at Mosman High School, presidents Maddie Leary and Tyler Rogers; the school captain, Melinda Choy, and school vice-captain, Kate Lindeman, from North Sydney Girls High School; school captain and vice-captain Bibhu Aggarwal and Jeremy Zhu from North Sydney Boys High School; Harry Marples and Charles Thompson, the senior prefect and second prefect from Shore; school captains Michael Compton and Clementine Rendle from SCEGGS Redlands; school captain and vice-captain Edwina Tidmarsh and Jane Favretto from Queenwood; school captain and vice-captain Nicky Dickson and Ashleigh Sladden from Wenona; year 11 leaders Declan Byrne and Alex Godbold from St Aloysius; and Monica Healey, school captain, and Jessie McPherson, a year 11 Student Representative Council member, from Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College. As I said, only one school, Loreto, is unable to send students. That is because the students are doing Higher School Certificate trials and are otherwise engaged.
I have a close relationship with all the schools in my electorate. It is always a great pleasure for me to join the students at school functions, whether they are debating or performing. I can assure the House that many students at these schools demonstrate talent in drama and music and at presentation and speech days at the end of the year. These are schools where education is valued highly and where students achieve great things academically, in sport and in many other endeavours. I am particularly mindful of the number of students in my electorate who place great store on community involvement and who have a sense of civic and social responsibility. Many of them go out on excursions and help in a real way by visiting nursing homes and supporting community groups.
Tomorrow, lunch will be an informal but important occasion. I hope the students will then sit in the gallery during question time. I hope that the House gives them some insight into the kinds of matters their local member raises in the House and into the behaviour of members of the House. We should host more of these functions more often. A number of members host functions here, and Parliament runs a wonderful program of education for students on excursions. On many occasions I have seen parliamentary attendants running the students through a mock Parliament with individuals sitting in the Speaker's chair and others playing various roles. It is terribly important that our young people are engaged in the civic responsibilities of our community, but it is also important that we as local members listen to them. I very much look forward to seeing the students here in the Parliament tomorrow.