A great student reflection on a recent excursion to the State Parliament of Victoria

On 15 May, the year 10 civics class had the pleasure of venturing into the CBD, for a guided tour of State Parliament.

The aim of the excursion was to apply our understanding of the path of a bill through Victorian State Parliament by actually passing one! (or pretending to, at least) Standing before the towering columns of limestone, we passed into the ornately decorated and intricately designed vestibule where, as Ms. Lipsia coined it the best, the CBD felt most like regal Europe.

Whilst our guide greeted us and escorted us inside the legislative assembly, most of us developed sore necks after basking in the glow of the 23.5 carat gold which coated the ceiling. After a brief reminder on the process of passing a bill in Parliament from our guide, the class nominated each other to act as key individuals within the lower house, as a part of a mock Parliament sitting.

Three students took on the role of Premier Daniel Andrews, former Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and the Speaker of the House, whilst several others sat as different members of Parliament. The sitting pertained to the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying. There was some fierce debate by both leaders, as well as other members of Parliament, all expressing their views on the topic.

Ultimately, the bill was passed by the lower house, with an overwhelming majority of ‘aye’s’. The experience gave the class an insight into the arduous nature of politics and the moral dilemmas commonly faced by lawmakers. The overall key takeaway was that there is never a clear choice you can make in complex decisions, in politics or in life.

We also had the opportunity to highlight a few budding politicians amongst our cohort, some of whom would be likely to fill those green chairs, in Victoria or in Canberra!

Thanks to Ms. Lipsia, and to Ms. Glenny for a great day and insightful experience.