On the 14th of September, the winners of the My First Speech competition visited Parliament House and delivered their speeches to Members and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The competition asks students to imagine themselves as a newly elected Member of the House of Representatives and write a 500-word speech about an issue they are passionate about.
This year’s winning speeches were about youth mental health, housing affordability and the rights of Deaf people.
The judges of the 2026 competition were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Milton Dick MP; Ms Ash Ambihaipahar MP, member for Barton; Mr Sam Birrell MP, member for Nicholls; and Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP, member for Mayo.
The Speaker of the House welcomed the students and hosted the presentation event where they delivered their speeches.
‘It is so important that we continue to look for these opportunities to give our young Australians the opportunity to engage with our Parliament. Hearing their voices and views is the sign of a vibrant and healthy democracy – something I am so passionate about,’ said Speaker Milton Dick.
Video footage of the winners’ speeches is available on the House of Representatives YouTube channel.
To find out more about the competition, please visit My First Speech competition – You have Parliament's attention. What will you say?.
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