LISTENING TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

LISTENING TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

As the Commonwealth marks the start of its Year of Youth, the CPA Small Branches Chairperson outlines the importance of youth engagement for Parliaments.

By Chairperson of the CPA Small Branches, Joy Burch, MLA, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that children and young people have the right to participate in decisions that affect them. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) recognises the special role that Parliaments play in connecting with young people and providing opportunities to provide input on government policies, services and initiatives.

It is important to give a voice to young people in addressing the range of social, environmental and economic challenges that are faced by Parliaments and governments across the Commonwealth. It is equally important that young people have the chance to learn about how our parliamentary systems operate and to develop the necessary skills and experience to take on leadership positions both now and into the future.

In this article, coinciding with the start of the Commonwealth's Year of Youth, I outline opportunities for young people in the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). I have also taken the opportunity to include input from Hon. Churchill Gill, MP from the Seychelles National Assembly and to share the experience of young person, Braith Sneddon, who participated in the recent 11th Commonwealth Youth Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago.

In the ACT Legislative Assembly, youth affairs are considered and advanced in several different ways, including through:

• the ACT Youth Advisory Council, which directly advises the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs;

• the Assembly’s Standing and Select Committees;

• direct engagement and education through the Assembly’s parliamentary education program; and

• the Children and Young People’s Commissioner.

The Youth Advisory Council provides strategic advice to the ACT Minister for Education and Youth Affairs on issues affecting young people. It provides a direct link between young people and the Minister. The Council regularly consults with young people, youth organisations and groups, and with the broader community, using the most effective channels and media. It provides the ACT Government, via the Minister, with direct and well-informed advice regarding young people, to ensure that its experiences, concerns, expectations and aspirations are understood by the Government. Importantly, it alerts the Minister to relevant emerging issues, potential risks and opportunities, and serves as a point of contact for the community regarding systemic issues.

“It important to give a voice to young people in addressing the range of social, environmental and economic challenges that are faced by Parliaments and governments across the Commonwealth. It is equally important that young people have the chance to learn about how our parliamentary systems operate and to develop the necessary skills and experience to take on leadership positions both now and into the future.”

With the ACT Government, the Council also conducts a Youth Assembly to ‘draw out key ideas, policy recommendations and encourage direct participation of young Canberrans aged 12 to 25 years to have their voices heard in a full-day forum’.1 One hundred and nine young people attended the 2021 Youth Assembly, making 18 recommendations relating to a) inclusive policy b) resilience, rights and respectful relationships c) youth employment d) environment and sustainability.

The Government formally responded to the Youth Assembly’s report and tabled a copy of its response in the Legislative Assembly to inform debate and discussion on the issues affecting young people as expressed by young people.

In the Legislative Assembly, the Standing Committee on Education and Community Inclusion considers youth affairs as part of its resolution of appointment. It undertakes inquiries on a range of matters affecting young people and seeks submissions and evidence from young people and youth organisations on a wide range of topics.

In late 2022, the ACT selected a young Canberran, Braith Sneddon, to participate in the 11th Commonwealth Youth Parliament (CYP) – a program organised by the CPA and held in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2022. Braith had this to say about his participation: “I found the CYP nothing short of eye-opening. Working alongside aspiring politicians, ambitious public servants and passionate youth advocates of so many culturally diverse nations has given me an inspiring appreciation of youth engagement in politics. It has driven me to take a more active role and platform to urge young people to get involved in politics and engage with the political process.”

Additionally, it is a statutory function of the Office of the Legislative Assembly (the administrative arm of the Assembly) to provide public education about the functions of the Assembly and its Committees. The Office’s education team fulfills this function by conducting:

• education seminars for schools and community groups;

• collaborative inter-school Committee role-play events;

• a ‘Westminster workshop’ in which young people learn about the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy through short lectures, role plays and collaborative research with peers;

• a Constitutional Convention in which students explore constitutional issues relevant to the ACT; and

• sessions where students and young people can meet their elected Members and ask questions about how they perform their roles in representing the ACT community.

The ACT has a Children and Young People’s Commissioner which is a statutory office holder, established under the ACT Human Rights Commission Act 2005. The Commissioner endeavours to: consult with children and young people in ways that promote their participation in decision-making; listen to and seriously consider the views of children and young people, including being sensitive to the linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds of children and young people.

Importantly, the Commissioner has a role to promote the participation of young people in making decisions about government policies and legislation to ensure that the rights and interests of young people are upheld.

In knowing how the ACT works, it was useful to understand how other Parliaments engage with young people in their society. As such I invited Hon. Churchill Gill, MP from the Seychelles National Assembly to provide a snapshot of their recent youth engagement. I thank him for his contribution, and include an extract below:

“It is crucial for the future of any country that the young demographic is adequately supported and nurtured through outreach, open dialogue, education and positive influences, preparing them to take up the mantle in the future. For the National Assembly of Seychelles, one direct channel of ensuring constructive and positive engagement with the youth is the Media Youth Sports and Culture Committee, of which I am a member.

The Committee’s portfolio is extensive and includes oversight over departments responsible for the youth. As part of its work with youth, the Committee organises meetings and visits to several entities engaged in youth work. In July 2022, for instance, the Committee visited the Anse Royale Youth Hostel, which provides a home for post-secondary students from the islands of Praslin and La Digue, who pursue their studies on Mahé island.

As the elected Member for one District on Praslin Island and a member of the Committee, I, along with the Committee, was eager to know more about the experience of the students in this crucial time in their lives when they set about building a strong foundation for their future. With open conversation being encouraged, the resident representatives freely expressed their opinions and ideas about topics specific to their individual as well as shared experiences.

Once the meeting was concluded, the Committee visited the hostel facilities. Along the way, more residents spoke with Committee Members about the hostel as well as their schooling concerns. The visit at the Youth Hostel was only one of many the Committee has held over the years, along with meetings with several youth groups and entities responsible for the youth, promoting more discussions of youth concerns. Committee Members are also invited to youth talks and conferences locally and regionally.

Most recently, the Chairperson of the Committee, a young Parliamentarian himself, Hon. Wavel Woodcock, attended the second African Youth Dialogue in Morocco in December 2022 where the theme of the event was ‘The promotion of good governance through the elimination of hunger and malnutrition: Enhancing of the role of young Parliamentarians and the youth in Africa’s Legislatures’. Attending such events promotes the exchange of knowledge and the benefit of different perspectives from other Parliamentarians and people engaged with the youth. For the National Assembly of Seychelles, the Committee is a significant means of maintaining constant dialogue with the youth and directly gaining their views on different topics.”