THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP, and Dan Tehan MP have launched the “My First Speech” Competition for local schools in Wannon.

This national competition challenges students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to envision themselves as newly elected Members of the House of Representatives and to record a 90-second speech on video, focusing on a topic of their choosing.

The winning entrant from each year group, accompanied by a parent or guardian, will be flown to Canberra to deliver their speeches live at Parliament House and participate in an engaging program tailored to deepen their understanding of the legislative process.

Mr Tehan said the competition is a great initiative for students, and future leaders wishing to have their voice heard.

“This is an exciting opportunity for our local Wannon students to shine a national spotlight on the issues that matter most to them,” he said.

“The students participating in this competition will be our local leaders of tomorrow, and I am excited to give them a head start on their futures with this program.”

Mr Milton said, “This competition will provide secondary school students with the chance to learn more about the way our nation’s democracy works, and how actively engaging with the parliamentary process can draw attention to the issues that are most important to them.”

The submission deadline for the competition is set for 11.59pm AEST on July 27.

To learn more about the competition and submit their entries, students can visit the dedicated competition website: aph.gov.au/myfirstspeech

For further information and inquiries regarding the “My First Speech” competition, please contact Dan Tehan’s office at dan.tehan.mp@aph.gov.au