- WA Youth Parliament held every year for two decades
- Eight bills debated by 56 youth Members of Parliament
Transport, education reform, juvenile alcohol consumption and renewable energy are some of the issues debated during this week's WA Youth Parliament, organised by the YMCA.
Youth Minister Tony Simpson said the Youth Parliament, which has been held in Western Australia for more than 20 years, provided a great opportunity for young people to express their concerns in a public domain while gaining skills around research and planning, along with negotiation and public speaking.
"The Youth Parliament is a wonderful opportunity for young people to get involved and have their say on important issues," Mr Simpson said.
"The experience may motivate the participants to put the skills they acquire to good use in their communities and empower them to be advocates for their community.
"The Youth Parliament has provided an opportunity to debate some contemporary issues while giving an insight into how Parliament works and laws are passed.
"I commend the YMCA for this initiative as it is a great platform for developing our leaders of the future."
In a separate move, the Minister said the Department of Local Government and Communities had established The Panel for young people to participate in discussions, forums, workshops and surveys focused on youth issues, to help shape programs and policies for young West Australians.
"For example, The Panel was surveyed to canvass young people's perspectives on WA's alcohol laws for the department's submission to the review of the Liquor Control Act 1988," he said.
"The department has also produced the Youth Participation Kit, for young people and organisations, which provides information on how to maximise young people's input and contributions to community life."
Fact File
Minister's office - 6552 6600
The 2015 Youth Parliament Bills debated were:
- Accessible, Sustainable and Affordable Transportation Bill 2015
- Education Reform Bill 2015
- Indigenous Cultural Preservation Bill 2015
- Judicial Understanding for Sentencing Those Involved in Criminal Enterprise Bill 2015
- Juvenile Alcohol Consumption Bill 2015
- Prevention of and Response to Bullying in Education Bill 2015
- Regional Economic Development Bill 2015
- Renewable Energy for Western Australia Bill 2015.
