1982 BGGS Magazine

NATIONAL CAPITAL SEMINAR 1982

Longing to see everyone in Brisbane again, yet already missing the new friends I had made, I returned home with very mixed feelings after my week in Canberra, as a partici- pant in the National Capital Seminar. The Seminar, run by the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust for Young Australians, was designed to bring together one hundred students from around the nation, and give them an insight into the processes of Western Democracy. Following the highly successful plan of last year, the first National Capital Seminar, the week involved speakers, visits and activities centred around the Canberra Grammar School, where we were billeted. The week started straightaway on Sunday night , when we were addressed by the Governor-General, who opened the Seminar and then spoke to us on the choices facing young Australians today. Afterwards, we had our first chance to mingle with foreign ambassadors and other government officials. Speakers throughout the week involved leaders from all areas of Australian government, as well as ambassadors from overseas, in order that we might better understand our Pacific relations . These visits consisted of a short talk by the speaker, followed by an invaluable question/answer period, during which the students could air their views. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser made an instant hit, when, in an answer to a question on his opinions on Australian youth, he stated, "I believe that every young Australian is capable of doing something great - for themselves, their family and friends , and for the nation . We are raising a generation on which the pride of the land can rest!" Throughout the Seminar we were encouraged to talk to as many adults as possible, so that we would learn more. To help start us off, we were divided into groups with extremely human tutors , who we could talk to about anything and everything. We were also given certain duties to do to keep us on our feet - I had to give a vote of thanks to Senator McClelland - frightening at the time, but a thrill afterwards.

The impressions that were made on our minds that week were very evident in the discussion groups and debates that we had . These ranged among all topics, from Democracy, to Improving the System, and finally, whether or not Canberra was truly a national capital. All students put forward ex- tremely intelligent views, putting to good use the information we had learnt throughout the week. To supplement the lectures and classroom-style learning, trips were undertaken to see the practical side of government life. The major tour was to Parliament House, followed by morning tea with our MP' s. This led to my member, Elaine Darling, inviting me to dinner at the luxurious Parliament House Dining Room, and a group of four of us being chauffer-driven around Canberra in a car loaned by Bill Hayden. Sessions to the Senate and the House of Representatives were also extremely lively, and the visits to the ministerial chambers proved very informative. Of course, no visit to Canberra would be complete without an overall view of the sights in this perfectly planned city. We students were let loose on Canberra and spent hours trampl- ing over places such as the War Memorial, Telecom Tower Lookout, High Court (where many of the group promptly decided to become judges!) the site of the new Parliament House, and Duntroon. In spite of the many activities, we were still left plenty of time for mixing socially. All kinds of combinations were struck: student/tutor, boy /girl, and of course, division by states! Needless to say, the whole week held political over- tones for the fifteen Queenslanders, with jokes on our "backwardness", but in spite of this I think we all mixed very well. We grew surprisingly close, and, by the end of the week , there were very few people who hadn 't seen or spoken to each other at least once before. The great friends, great tutors, and thoroughly fantastic week left no doubt in my mind that the aim of the conference had been achieved. A marvellous social experience had been combined with just as much learning, and made us feel the truth in Senator Don Chipp's words- "Politics are too im- portant to be left to the politicians!" Thanks must go to the school and the Board for giving me the opportunity to participate, and,of course, to all the people connected with the Trust who spent such a great deal of time in making it happen. I hope that Grammar will be able to send someone along next year - it has given myself and ninety-nine others a backg round which we will use for life. Deirdre Mahoney II Hirschfeld 13