While their peers will be taking a break during the July school holidays, Illawarra students will be spending a week debating current issues with other young people at NSW Parliament House.
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TIGS student Himali Wijesinghe and St Mary’s Star of the Sea College student Mya Dellow will represent the electorate of Keira, joining 160 young people from across NSW, who have been selected to voice their opinions and beliefs on a range of issues, including workplace support for those with mental illness, increased recognition for Indigenous Australians, a further secularisation of the state and community support for survivors of domestic violence.
Youth parliamentarians have been working within committees since January to produce a bill or report on these important community concerns. Bills and reports are then passed onto every NSW Member of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Council.
YMCA NSW Youth Parliament aims to empower young people to reach their leadership potential by providing a platform to turn their passion into legislative change.
As a member of the mental health committee Ms Wijesinghe said she had been involved in creating a bill to enhance mental health support networks and services in the workplace.
“Mental health is so important and prevalent, yet often stigmatised, and I think creating support networks for those with mental illness is needed,” Ms Wijesinghe said.
“Legislation needs to be put in place in order to support people with these issues.
“Not only are we representing the youth of NSW, but the concerns of our electorate as a whole.”
During the Youth Parliament sitting week from July 11 to 15, the mental health support networks and services in the workplace bill will be debated and voted upon by fellow youth parliamentarians.
YMCA NSW Youth Parliament spokesman James Atkinson said the youth parliament program program focusses on empowering participants to have a voice and turn their passions into parliamentary action.
“At the YMCA NSW Youth Parliament, we aim to empower young people to realise their leadership potential by providing a platform to turn their passion into legislative change,” he said.
Over the past 15 years, more than 12 pieces of youth legislation have gone on to be passed into NSW law, including the recent Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme.
Robert Martin, youth member for Wollongong and Nicholas Marin, youth member for Kiama, will also be representing the region at the youth parliament.
