Local Indigenous youth leader Sha-lane Gibson has been selected to represent the Indigenous seat of Wowhu as part of this year’s YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament.
Treasurer and Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt said Sha-lane was one of 93 young Queenslanders selected to take part in this year’s program.
“I would like to congratulate Sha-lane for nominating for this excellent program and, on behalf of our community, thank her for proudly representing Indigenous people in Mulgrave,” Mr Pitt said.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for a young Far Northerner to learn about our democratic processes and hone her public speaking by interacting with other motivated young Queenslanders from a variety of backgrounds right around our state.
“As a young Indigenous woman, Sha-lane has a strong sense of cultural identity and is passionate about helping the next generation of young Indigenous people achieve their dreams.
“She wants to ensure young people get the support they need throughout their education so they can go on to lead healthy, productive lives and contribute positively to their communities.
“Sha-lane also wants to address the tough issues of mental illness and drugs and alcohol because of the impact these issues can have on school attendance rates in Indigenous communities.
“The Queensland Youth Parliament isn’t a place for theoretical debates, Bills that pass the Youth Parliament will actually be handed to Premier Palaszczuk.
“I know she will want them to be deeply involved in discussing issues of importance to them and their communities.”
The YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament has been operating for more than two decades, providing an apolitical environment where participants can engage with community issues as Youth Representatives of Parliament.
The Palaszczuk Government has contributed more than $63,000 to help the YMCA run this year’s Queensland Youth Parliament.
The Youth Members met for the first time in Brisbane in April for a 3-day forum, where they formed committees, discussed ideas and decided on the topic of their youth bill.
Between April and September, committees will work on writing their bills and designing and implementing community action plans. They will come together again in September for the residential part of the program, including debating bills at Parliament House.
For more information on the YMCA Youth Parliament go to www.ymcaqyp or for information on the Queensland Government’s support for young people visit www.qld.gov.au/youth/.
Recent Comments