Y Queensland’s launch of the 2024 Queensland Youth Parliament (QYP) has spurred young Queenslanders to put people into politics and explore a world typically reserved for Members of Parliament.

Having received more than 400 nominations from Queenslanders aged between 15 to 25 years from the most northern tip of the state in the Torres Strait Islands to the political heart of the state, QYP aims to be truly representative of the views and concerns of the state’s next generation of community leaders.

For the last 29 years, Y Queensland has supported the development of young, community-minded individuals as they contribute their unique voices on a very special platform. Believing in the power of inspired young people, year on year we are taken back by the raw talent and passion of the program participants.

This month, we are be proud to welcome the next cohort of 93 young Queenslanders, representing all Queensland electorates, who’ll participate in the initiative that runs over 5 months from April to September. 

What’s in store for our cohort

For our QYP Program Coordinator, Martin Boga, the success of our program is the community-led discussions and work that comes out of the year-long QYP.

“What results from the QYP is our youth having the knowledge, confidence, and passion to work in their local communities to deliver grassroots change on issues important to them,” he shared.

Over the past few years, the Youth Parliament’s passed Bills have been considered in the Queensland Parliament legislation with submissions by politicians drawing upon sentiment within the Youth Bills—one such example being the QYP Bill on the hundred-hour drivers’ logbook which was quoted in a Ministerial submission to Queensland Parliament. While Youth Bills imitate parliamentary process and documents they are not binding; they are, however, reviewed by the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Council (OQPC)—the same office that reviews and formats binding legislation. This offers QYP a level of legitimacy in the formatting and presentation of the Youth Bills.

“Throughout the 5-month QYP program, the 93 QYP electoral members along with the QYP youth advisors form committees aligned with Queensland Government Departments—they debate real issues pertinent in the communities and form mock Bills to pass in QYP,” Martin said.

“Youth Members are also encouraged to engage with their communities through volunteering, organising fundraising activities, and attending community events.

“In 2023, the QYP participants included Members who organised a Share the Dignity Drive in Redlands (Youth Member for Redlands); who spoke on a Women’s Space Sandgate panel (Youth Member for Sandgate); who drafted a Youth Bill about facial recognition privacy laws and in researching this organised a meeting with the New York City Council on similar laws there (Youth Member for Jordan); and who led a community discussion and Q&As about the Voice Referendum (Youth Member for Springwood).”

QYP process

This year Y Queensland received well over 400 nominations—an increase on our previous record of 442 applications last year and a huge jump from the 348 nominations in 2022. Nominations were received from 90 of the 93 electorates—a record spread of nominations across Queensland.

With the continual increase in nominations, we have launched an additional program—a Youth Advisory Council. This Council is another avenue for eager applicants to dive into public hearings with the QYP Members to raise community concerns and topics worthy of potential Youth Bills.

Through QYP and the Youth Advisory Council, young people can be a voice on issues that are most important to them. QYP offers specific committees to match particularly passionate participants with their keenest interest areas.

The QYP Committees, aligned with Queensland Government Departments, are:

• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships 
• Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Resources and Critical Minerals and Regional Development and Manufacturing
• Science and Innovations, Digital Services, Trade and Investment and Tourism and Sport
• Education, Employment and Small Business and the Arts
• Justice, Police and Community Safety and Corrective Services
• Energy and Clean Economy Jobs, Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Water
• Fire and Disaster Recovery, Housing, Local Government and Planning, Rural Communities and State Development and Infrastructure
• Health, Mental Health and Emergency Services, Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence and Seniors and Disability Services

Each Committee decides upon a Youth Bill, Members debate this Youth Bill throughout the year, including amendments, and then vote to pass the Youth Bill. Once passed, the Youth Bill is sent to the Office of Youth and then passed to the Queensland Government Minister responsible for the corresponding Portfolio.

“There are so many opportunities for Queensland youth to learn about community action, community mobilisation, and effective grassroots change,” Martin said.

“Through The Y’s QYP 5-month program, participants learn the political process and can then take that knowledge back to their communities and effect real change.”

Benefits of being involved

It isn’t only the politically minded who benefit from QYP. Indeed, he finds that most QYP members are drawn to the community-mindedness of the program.

“Our QYP youth want to find out more about politics. They may be politically curious, but that usually isn’t the driver for them applying,” Martin said.

“Usually, they hear from their school leadership or from friends who have been involved previously about the confidence-building benefits that QYP gives.

“Making new connections, learning how to facilitate group discussions, understanding grassroots engagement, debating causes, getting involved in local community charities and groups—all of these spurs our participants to become leaders in their communities far and wide throughout Queensland.

“A further reason for getting involved has emerged in the past few years. We survey our QYP participants annually, and the disenfranchisement of our young people is increasing. They feel stigmatisation from media coverage of youth crime and want to present a positive voice about youth.”

A benefit for school senior students is gaining one point towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) as recognition of a participant’s involvement in QYP and upon completion of QYP’s opt-in assessment program.

Not just 12 months

Life-long curiosity and learning is something that is inherent to the program, with many past participants sharing that the empowerment developed from QYP is carried with them in the years following. Now heading the program, Martin was in fact a participant in the program 8 years ago and was one of the few nominated for a second year in the program.

“Participants can nominate for a second year in QYP as long as they satisfy the age requirement at the time of nomination (15-25 years old); however, because of the sheer number of youths wanting to get involved it’s rare that second year is rewarded,” Martin said.

“With our new Youth Advisory Council, we hope more participants will both be able to benefit from going through the QYP process as well as having 2 options to choose from—QYP and the Advisory Council.

“With these 2 avenues, Queensland’s youth will take the political nous, and the community facilitation and engagement skills and make a big impact in their communities—making parliamentary submissions and understanding how one person’s voice in far regional Queensland can be heard and how that voice can impact how the entire State is governed.”

Martin isn’t the only former Member who works on the program.

“Helping me is our QYP Executive. These are all former Youth Members who are aged between 18 years’ old and 25 years’ old and who volunteer their time to help me run the program,” Martin explained.

“While I head up the program, I am partnered with the Youth Governor who assists with operation support and works as my 2IC. The Youth Governor is a member of the Executive who is elected by the current year’s as well the previous year’s Executive.”  

Martin acknowledges the efforts of his volunteer Executive, “Across the year the Executive volunteer hundreds of hours to the program and really are often the unsung heroes of QYP.” 

In 2024, the Executive consists of: 

Jordan Engel (Youth Governor)

Paige Mackie (Mentor Coordinator)

Tobias Kennett (Parliamentary and Education Officer)

Nick Deevy (Parliamentary Officer)

Hannah Woodard White (Parliamentary Officer)

Grace Campbell (Community Engagement & Recreations Officer)

Harrison Booth (Community Engagement & Recreations Officer)

Jasmin Peak (Media and Marketing Officer)

Sebastian Padget (Media and Marketing Officer)

Brandon Harvey (Mentor)

Madison Hilker (Mentor)

Eva Marks (Mentor)

Jeremy Kye (Mentor)

Madeline Crothers (Mentor)

Indi McKeown (Mentor)

Declan Baggow (Mentor)

Jennifer Chubarova (Mentor)

Many previous members of the QYP program have since made impactful political careers, including Kate Jones (Youth Premier 1996), Aidan McLindon (Youth Opposition Leader 1996) and the Hon. Mark Ryan MP (Youth Member).

“A number of members are currently running in the upcoming State and local Brisbane Council elections,” Martin said, “including Emily Kim who was the Youth Premier in 2021 and is running for Calamvale Ward, Nelson Savahn who was the Youth in 2016 and is running in Ferny Grove, Thomas Stephen who was a Youth Member and is running in the Bracken Ridge Ward, and Jasper Every who was also a Youth Member and is running in Division 6 – Redland Bay City Council.”

The core objective of Y Queensland is to generate places of connection, belonging, and support. When young people are inspired and empowered within an environment that recognises and lifts their passions up, great things happen.

QYP is the amalgamation of our values with the express purpose of giving a voice to young people who are otherwise closed out of discussions that impact their lives. We are exceptionally proud of our support of the program hosted by Queensland Parliament.

Y Queensland warmly welcomes our 2024 cohort this March and wishes them all the best. We cannot wait to see what they bring to the discussion on youth politics, access, and education.

Interested in following the journey of the 2024 cohort? Follow their progress on our Facebook Page and Instagram.