Leadership journey

The Forum

Member for Mulgoa, Tanya Davies MP, welcomed 18 students from local high schools to the NSW Parliament House for the Mulgoa Senior Captain Leadership Forum.

The students had the opportunity to meet with the The Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Education, The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP, Minister of Health and The Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLC, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Early Childhood Education and Assistant Minister for Education and to hear first-hand their journey into politics and what leadership is. This annual event is an opportunity to reveal the journey people take into leadership, how leaders tackle challenges, lessons they have learnt and  principles the apply to life. It's also an opportunity to recognise the students' commitment and dedication to their respective communities. The students also had a personal tour of Parliament House and sat in the gallery and listened to question time in the Legislative Assembly.

"It is important that our young leaders have opportunities to develop and expand on their leadership skills. I hope that the forum was of great benefit to these students and I  know that they will continue to make a difference in our community". Tanya Davies said.

Matthew Nad (School Captain), Maria Djuric (Vice Captain) and Jamey Tran, Senior Student Representative Council member participated in this event.

by  Matthew Nad and Jamey Tran

Cecil Hills High School was invited to the Parliament house in Sydney to take part in the Mulgoa District Leadership Day. Upon arrival, we were seated in a room within the House and addressed by Tanya Davies, the State Member for Mulgoa, as well as the Minister for mental health, women and ageing. Mrs Davies spoke to us and multiple other schools about her journey towards becoming a minister in the State Parliament. She then introduced us to her fellow ministers, Brad Hazzard, Rob Stokes and Sarah Mitchell, who much like Tanya shared their story of their journey into politics and their jobs within the house. After the speaking, Tanya Davies took us on a tour of the Parliament House and began to teach us about the history of the House, and the various activities that politics offered. Towards the end of the day we observed a Question Time. It was filled with yelling between both parties and controversial questions being asked. Overall, the day was enjoyable and helped gain our experience of not only politics, but also leadership. 

by Maria Djuric

On the same day, I had the pleasure of attending a Senior Leadership Day with Captains and Vice Captains of schools across Sydney. We initiated the day at the Sydney Parliament House where we were given an introduction to the roles of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, as well as other structures of Australia’s Government system. State Members of several electorates, including our own, Tanya Davies, State Member for Mulgoa, engaged in a discussion about their journey as a politician, and accepted questions from students regarding education, politics and other trending topics. Following a morning tea, we were taken to the Government House in the Royal Botanic Gardens, where we were given an informative tour of the house, as well as leisure time to take pictures of the stunning architecture, as well as the view of Sydney Harbour.

Finally, we had the opportunity to meet His Excellency General The Hon David Hurley, Governor of New South Wales, and hear his own journey from being a retired Lieutenant of the Australian Army, to being offered the role of a Governor. We also learnt more about the role of a Governor, which entails the three C’s - constitutional, ceremonial and community. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Australia’s political system, as well as having the opportunity to discuss the HSC, and Year 12 life with students from a range of schools.