Kelly O'Dwyer (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was delighted last Friday when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon. Bronwyn Bishop, was able to visit Camberwell South Primary School in order to conduct a mock parliament. The senior students debated the No Homework Bill, and it was a terrific opportunity for them to understand our system of government. It is not every day, though, that you get to learn about our system of government from the Speaker of the House of Representatives herself, so it was a wonderful privilege. I hope that, by conducting the role-play, students gained a greater understanding not just of the process but of how fortunate we are that all Australians are represented through their democratically elected members of parliament. I genuinely believe it is important to encourage and inspire young people to participate fully in society, including in public life, and what better role model is there than the Speaker of the House of Representatives herself, someone who has had a very distinguished parliamentary career?

She also had the opportunity to speak with senior students across a number of schools in my electorate about leadership. I hosted a morning tea and invited students from Presentation College, St Kevin's College, Sacre Coeur school, De La Salle College, Lauriston Girls School and Oakleigh Grammar School to speak with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and hear her story not only as a shadow minister and a minister but now as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I have always maintained that it is important to value leadership and to inspire today's youth to aim high, and I am very confident that, after our visit in the electorate on Friday, they have been very much inspired.