Young people have made their voices heard and passed a range of Bills that could shape state legislation, during YMCA Victoria Youth Parliament this week.
Minister for Youth Affairs Jenny Mikakos thanked the 120 young parliamentarians for taking part and raising the profile of issues affecting young people.
Bills that passed include labelling the environmentally sustainability of food products, increasing awareness about racial discrimination, and affordability for students on public transport.
The Bills will now be passed to relevant government ministers for consideration.
A group of nine aspiring young journalists covered the action of this week’s debates from the Parliament press gallery, and published their stories on social media and the YMCA Press Gallery website.
The Andrews Labor Government has contributed more than $100,000 for this year’s event, to support and raise the voice of young people.
This year’s young parliamentarians came from various locations across Victoria including Melbourne, East Gippsland, Castlemaine, Wangaratta, Shepparton, Mildura, and Gannawarra.
Victoria Youth Parliament has helped to shape more than 20 Bills over the past 30 years, including laws on mandatory bike helmets, roadside drug testing and gun reforms.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Youth Affairs Jenny Mikakos
“Young people have raised issues that matter to them, and I thank all the young parliamentarians who participated.”
“The focus and professionalism we have seen from each participant has been phenomenal, and we look forward to seeing some of these familiar faces return as our future parliamentarians.”
“Youth Parliament gives young people a platform to share their opinions on issues affecting them – this is about supporting and enriching the lives of our young people.”
“I was also proud to welcome the inspiring young participants from Deaf Children Australia to Youth Parliament for the first time, who provided an invaluable contribution.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020