News

Forum 2010

The 2010 Youth Parliament program began with great excitment at the forum held  in Brisbane over the weekend of April 10. Youth members and executive members all met face to face for the first time and discussions about legislative topics were both lively and interesting. This year a panel of parliamentary experts were able to help discuss with our Youth Members the issues important to them and the workings of the parliamentary system. Our board members were Mr Neil Lawrie (Clerk of the Queensland Parliament), Dr Paul Reynolds (Political Science Academic), Mr Jarrod Bleijie (MP) and Mr Aidan McLindon (MP). At the end of the first day the program was officially launched in the red chamber of Parliament House and the Youth Members were sworn in. The second day of bill discussions also included work in regional committees about community action plans to encourage everyone to be more personally involved in their areas. Some fantastic ideas were heard from all and overall the weekend was very enjoyable.

For more information the bill topics for this year go to Committees and Bills, or to get amongst it have a look at Community Action.

Former Youth Members re-unite in parliament this week

Three former Members of the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament are set to unite in Queensland Parliament this week – and this time it is the real deal.

Kate Jones, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change and Member for Ashgrove; Aidan McLindon, Member for Beaudesert; and Mark Ryan, Member for Morayfield, have all represented Queensland’s youth in Parliament before.

Ms Jones and Mr McLindon were the Premier and Opposition Leader respectively in the first YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament held in 1996. Mark Ryan was the Youth Member for Kallangur in the 2004 Youth Parliament.

Both Mr McLindon and Mr Ryan will make their maiden speeches in Queensland Parliament this week.

The YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament wishes all three MPs a rewarding first week of the 53rd Queensland Parliament, and hopes they can draw from their experiences as Youth Members.

5/4/2009

Young MPs mentor youth at QYP launch 

Former Opposition Leader, Lawrence Springborg, joined three newly elected Queensland MPs in mentoring our brightest youth at the launch of the 2009 YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament.

Mr Springborg participated in a panel discussion with Jarrod Bleijie (Member for Kawana) and two former members of the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament Mark Ryan (Morayfield) and Aidan McLindon (Beaudesert) at the launch of the 2009 program at Brisbane Girls Grammar school on Sunday April 5. The theme of the informal chat was “leadership through service”.

All four MPs entered Queensland Parliament before their 30th birthdays.

The 89 Youth Members of the Queensland Youth Parliament were invited to ask the MPs questions about being a young leader in their communities.

Mr McLindon was the Opposition Leader in the first YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament back in 1996 and Mr Ryan was the Youth Member for Kallangur in the 2004 program.

Co-ordinator of the program, Louis Paul Franks, thanked the MPs for their dedication.

“It is becoming apparent the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament is becomingly increasingly important in platforming Queensland’s brightest ideas and young political talent,” he said.

“The MPs are to be thanked for coming today and sharing their experiences as young politicians. Some of them were younger when they entered Parliament than some of our Youth Members.”

5/4/2009