Yesterday I was very fortunate to attend the 2022 Civics & Citizenship Convention for Year 9 & 10 at the NSW State Parliament House. It involved 100 other students from around Australia, including 30 selected in NSW from many different Electorates. The day started with a tour of the NSW State Parliament House, which was followed by three presentations from key speakers around the focal point of Compulsory Voting. We had numerous opportunities to discuss, debate and vote on the topic of Compulsory Voting, as well as the excellent opportunity to converse and meet many other students from different schools and backgrounds, from both urban and rural areas. We also got to collaborate in various group work to develop our viewpoint in further discussions. I definitely enjoyed the convention as it allowed me to enrich my knowledge of Civics & Citizenship with other students my age with different experiences, and explore the various different perspectives on the relevant topic of Compulsory Voting.

Oliver Campbell, Year 10