Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to talk about the Hasluck leadership award program in which I invite all high schools to nominate a candidate from their school to be considered to spend a week in Canberra. There are two young students with me this week. Stephen Beerkens is a 17-year-old and attends La Salle College in Midland, Western Australia. Stephen is an all-rounder. While maintaining good grades in his academic studies, he is participating in various school bands, school sporting teams and extracurricular activities as well as volunteering in the community. Jade Gurney is a 16-year-old and attends Lesmurdie Senior High School in Lesmurdie, Western Australia. She is part of the Lesmurdie Senior High School Council and is proud of her many achievements at school.

Both of them in their meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday indicated that their future and careers were in the arts. Both are hoping to attend the WA Academy of Performing Arts. Jade wants to focus on acting and Stephen wants to focus on being a composer. He hopes in the future to write scores for films he has a passion for. Both have enjoyed meeting members of the House of Representatives and the Senate and asking politicians why they see leadership as being important, what influenced them to become leaders within their electorates and communities and the role they will play in the future. They have gained substantially from it.