Two students from Yanco Agricultural High School have been selected from hundreds of students to take part in the 2021 Youth Parliament of NSW.
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The program provides participating students a platform for them to have not only their voices heard, but the voices of the communities they are representing through legislative debate and decision making.
Principal at Yanco Agricultural High School, Gary Hunt said that the Youth Parliament of NSW was a fantastic opportunity for students, especially those in regional and rural areas.
"Obviously for our rural students its a great forerunner for getting into civil community work and the parliamentary system," Mr Hunt said.
"It gives them a voice in the community and a broader outlook."
Dana Alexander will represent both Yanco and her home town electorate of Monaro Eden and will be working on the medical health and research committee.
"I chose the medical health and research committee as I truly believe that this section of society is the most important," Dana said.
"The workers in this section are a critical part of the functions of medicine practices and for this, they deserve to be recognised and look after."
As part of this internal committee Dana hopes to help pass a bill in parliament based around the medical field with a close focus on the mental health component of medical research.
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Kai Hammond will be representing the electorate of Murray and will participate in the rural and regionals committee.
According to Kai, he believes the Youth Parliament is a great opportunity for students to make some real, tangible change rural residents.
"A lot of electorates on this side of the Great Dividing Range seemed to be forgotten about, but with the strong fellow rural constitutes who are in the committee I am part of, I believe we have an opportunity of making some real change for rural NSW," Kai said.
"As part of this committee I am going to focus on the broader point of assisting local younger generations in regards to employment."
These workers would then inject capital into the economies of country towns such as Leeton.
He also hopes to improve on the government funded programs that run within schools and in the community on topics such as drugs and crime to better educate students and help them pursue a variety of employment options.
Since its inception in 2002, approximately six pieces of legislation from the Youth Parliament have been passed into NSW law, including the recent Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme.
Dana and Kai will both attend a residential camp at the NSW Parliament building in Sydney in the July school holidays as part of the program.
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