"It’s a huge opportunity for me to be able to advocate for young Indigenous people where I can be a voice for their voices."

The challenges for young people are real and the role of the Y NSW has never been more important. Motivated by our belief in the power of inspired young people and the growing needs that we address, the Y NSW was delighted to continue its Youth Parliament program in 2023.

The Y NSW’s Youth Parliament Program has taken significant strides towards inclusivity and empowerment by actively involving a range of participants with varied backgrounds across the state. For the very first time this year, two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people were given a scholarship to represent their electorates in the Youth Parliament program.

As NSW’s premier youth empowerment program operating for over 20 years, Youth Parliament offers young people the opportunity to debate in NSW Parliament, create Youth Bills on issues for change, and have their voices heard by Members of Parliament. 

Aurielle was part of the First Nations scholarship and was among 93 young people who took part in this year’s program. As a 16-year-old Gomeroi person from Pittwater, Aurielle is passionate about First Nations youth voices being heard and in particular cultural and performing arts related issues.

“The Youth Parliament program provides participants with an invaluable opportunity to cultivate leadership and debating skills and I was honoured to receive the First Nations scholarship. It’s a huge opportunity for me to be able to advocate for young Indigenous people where I can be a voice for their voices,” said Aurielle.

“Through participating in parliamentary debates, engaging in public speaking exercises, and collaborating with other young leaders, we are gaining confidence and developing the necessary skills to advocate for our communities' needs. These experiences will certainly help me prepare for future leadership roles.

“I was excited to see all the theatrics of a real debate during Sitting Week in July and have a bit of fun, but at the core of it we were actually really passionate about the issues that we discussed and really do want to make a change,” concluded Aurielle.

Aurielle encourages other young people to consider the program in the future as she said it has been an honour and a privilege to take part as a First Nations person.

“Just apply, like there’s no harm in doing it and once you get here, I promise you’ll have a really great time,” she concluded.