Humanities ABC Q+A Excursion

At the fore of democracy is the voice of the people, the concerns of you and I. ABC’s Q+A is one such platform that facilitates meaningful dialogue and earlier this week a few lucky Mac.Rob students were given the opportunity to directly engage with politicians in a public forum!

Monday’s Q+A was an insightful experience as we were able to hear the opinions of various politicians from all across the political spectrum and the country! The theme for the night was "What does the Class of 22 make of being inside the “Canberra bubble”?" Topics ranged from the pertinent housing crisis in the nation to issues regarding the banning of TikTok on parliamentary devices. Being in the audience amidst the politicians allowed us to reflect on the agency that we as individuals have in the political discourse within the nation. The diversity of the panel members and the audience alike also exposed us to myriad perspectives, something that is not always possible within a school environment.

Our night was particularly memorable as it was host, Stan Grant’s, last episode. Though we regret the events that culminated in his resignation, Stan’s final words really struck a chord with us all. “Yindyamarra is not just a word, it is sacred,” he said, reminding us of the importance of mutual respect and responsibility that is shared amongst all Australians.

We were all very grateful for this opportunity to be a part of such a relevant and important discussion. Although it may seem like these issues do not affect us as students, we must remain aware of such pressing issues in our country.

Thank you to Mr. Regalo and Ms. Ruth for accompanying us all to what was an extremely remarkable Q+A episode!

Jade N and Ananaya M