# YMCA NSW Youth Parliament

The YMCA New South Wales Youth Parliament is an apolitical YMCA Youth Parliament program coordinated by the YMCA NSW, and acts as an advocacy platform for young people in New South Wales aged 15 to 18. Participants spend time in Committees developing mock Bills, which they debate during a week-long camp in the NSW Parliament. Bills are given Royal Assent by the Youth Governor and handed to the NSW Government and Opposition for consideration.
Notable alumni of the program include Avani Dias, Adam Marshall and Chris Rath.

## Overview

The YMCA NSW Youth Parliament is a YMCA—sponsored youth model parliament program. The program was first launched in 2002, attracting 32 participants representing regional teams from across New South Wales. The program has continued since and is in its 21st year. There is a YMCA Youth Parliament program in every Australian State and Territory.
Young people aged 15 to 18 may apply for the program or seek selection from their local MP or MLC. Successful applicants are then allocated committees according to their preferences and begin to create a Bill which focuses on a current issue in New South Wales.
Participants meet during a weekend—long training camp where they learn about the legislative process. Participants then spend time in the Legislative Assembly debating, amending and voting on Bills and general motions, including Question Time and a Matter of Public Importance. Approximately six pieces of Y NSW Youth Parliament legislation have been passed into NSW law, including the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme.

## Youth Leadership

During the Training Camp, Youth MP's may nominate themselves for leadership positions including Premier, Deputy Premier, Opposition Leader, Leader of the House/Manager of Opposition Business, and Party Whips. A vote of the participant body is then held to determine the leadership team for the respective calendar year. With the introduction of a bicameral parliament, further leadership positions have been made available to serve the Legislative Council, such as Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.
Youth Parliamentarians also have the opportunity to become either Ministers in the Government or Shadow Ministers of the Opposition. Those elevated to these positions are elected by their peers in portfolios to take on the role of lead sponsor or refuter of their respective portfolio. This is replicated in the Legislative Council with chairpersons of committees and ministers representing legislative assembly portfolios. There are additional leadership roles, such as government whip, opposition whip (in both houses) and regional ministers (in the legislative assembly).
Participants also have the chance to attend the Governors Reception at Government House.
List of Former Executive Leaders of the Y NSW Youth Parliament program :
| Year | Premier | Deputy Premier | Opposition Leader | Deputy Opposition Leader | Leader of the House | Manager of Opposition Business | Government Whip | Opposition Whip |
| 2024 | Princess Delany (Member for Kogarah | Matthew Hayes (Member for Wahroonga) | Isabella Chen (Member for Auburn | Finlay Cassidy (Member for Kiama) | Marty Davies (Member for Orange) | Johnson Tang (Member for Epping) | Aled Stephens (Member for Penrith) | Cindy Li (Member for Vaucluse) |
| 2023 | Noah Smith (Member for Pittwater) | Rachel Lao (Member for Parramatta) | James Paterson (Member for Davidson) | Laura Strawbridge (Member for Wahroonga) | Janet Zheng (Member for Willoughby) | Jewel Osborne (Member for Mount Druitt) | Karin Rezkalla (Member for Wagga Wagga) | Elise Lang (Member for Lismore) |
| 2022 | Ned Graham (Member for Newtown) | Justin Qin (Member for Ku-Ring-Gai) | Jayden Delbridge (Member for Wyong) | Chelsea Burgess Hannon (Member for Wagga Wagga) | Elyssa Khaoula (Member for Liverpool) | Vincent Rummery (Member for Blue Mountains) | Stella Jeong (Member for Castle Hill) | Leyton Croft (Member for Northern Tablelands) |
| 2021 | Indigo Lee-Wilson (Member for Ku-Ring-Gai) | Abbey Dawson (Member for Bega) | Samuel Barry (Member for Upper Hunter) | Ethan Floyd (Member for Cessnock) | Cameron Last (Member for Ryde) | Brooklyn Rullis (Member for Miranda) | Connor Burke (Member for Mulgoa) | Annabelle Shannon (Member for Barwon) |
| 2020 | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | During 2020, the Y NSW Youth Parliament Program was cancelled for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2019 | Hamani Tanginoa (Member for Campbelltown) | Kyla Rivera (Member for Heffron) | Luca Corby (Member for Keira) | Matthew Krishna (Member for Newtown) | Benjamin Capovilla (Member for Holsworthy) |
| 2018 | Benjamin Capovilla (Member for Holsworthy) | | | | |
| 2017 | Lucy Witherdin (Member for Newcastle) | Felix Faber | Jeremiah Edagbami (Member for Camden) | | |
| 2016 | Abby Butler (Member for Newcastle) | Matilda Conlan (Member for Murray) | | | |
| 2015 | Iman Salim Ali Farrar (Member for East Hills) | | Jeffrey Khoo (Member for Ryde) | Hugh McClure (Member for Keira) | |
| 2014 | Arlo Meylan (Member for Newcastle) | Cameron Allan (Member for Newcastle) | Harry Gregg (Member for Lismore) | Tom Williams | Jack Wilson |
| 2013 | Theodora Von Arnim (Member for Marrickville) | Dempsey Bloom (Member for Wollondilly) | Matthew Campbell (Member for Hawkesbury) | Alexandra Saliba (Member for Shellharbour) | Annie Zhou (Member for Ryde) |
| 2012 | Joshua Favaloro (Member for Balmain) | Leah Emmanuel (Member for Canterbury) | Geeth Geeganage (Member for Blacktown) | Paulina Krumanaite (Member for Wakehurst) | Tina Zhou (Member for Marrickville) |
| 2011 | Elle Griffin (Member for Manly) | Daniel McNamara | Istiak Ahmed (Member for Macquarie Fields) | Blake Osmond (Member for Wollongong) | Matt Oreshkin |
| 2010 | Matt Higgs (Member for Blue Mountains) | Emily Lecky (Member for Tamworth) | Farah Abdel (Member for Lakemba) | Charles Witherdin | Piero Craney |
| 2009 | Samir Kinger | | | | |
| 2008 | Sean Szabo (Member for Hornsby) | | | | |
| 2007 | Vivek Bhatt (Member for Wollondilly) | | | | |
| 2006 | Rebecca Dooley (Member for Hornsby) | Tim Green (Member for Ballina) | David Zabell (Member for Keira) | Joseph Prevedello (Member for Burrinjuck) | |
| 2005 | Sarah Dwyer (Member for Ballina) | Elle Morgan-Thomas (Member for Bathurst) | | | |
| DATA UNAVAILABLE DURING THIS PERIOD (2003 – 2004) ||||||
| 2002 | Adam Marshall (Member for Northern Tablelands) | | | | |

## Youth Governor

The position of Youth Governor, voted in and selected by the volunteer taskforce and participants, is charged with overseeing and representing the program as well as signing off on bills that are passed.

### Former Youth Governors

| No. | Youth Governor | Sworn in | Term | Electorate | Notes |
| 1 | Jenny McInnes | July 2002 | 2003 | – | Inaugural Youth Governor |
| 2 | – | July 2003 | 2004 | – | No data for this period |
| 3 | – | July 2004 | 2005 | – | No data for this period |
| 4 | Deborah Horsley | July 2005 | 2006 | Ballina | |
| 5 | Swaren Veygal | July 2006 | 2007 | Keira | |
| 6 | Tim Green | July 2007 | 2008 | Ballina | |
| 7 | Jessica Priebee | July 2008 | 2009 | – | |
| 8 | Nick Calleja | July 2009 | 2010 | – | |
| 9 | Charles Witherdin-Costigan | July 2010 | 2011 | – | |
| 10 | Blake Osmond | July 2011 | 2012 | Wollongong | |
| 11 | Geeth Geegenage | July 2012 | 2013 | Blacktown | |
| 12 | Brydan Toner | July 2013 | 2014 | South Coast | |
| 13 | Arlo Alexander-Meylan | July 2014 | 2015 | – | |
| 14 | Jacqueline Willing | July 2015 | 2016 | Newcastle | |
| 15 | Sophia-Rose Castro | July 2016 | 2017 | – | |
| 16 | Sam Harris | July 2017 | 2018 | Newcastle | |
| 17 | Sophie Macdonald | July 2018 | 2019 | – | |
| 18 | Emily Osborne | July 2019 | 2020 | Balmain | Longest-serving Youth Governor |
| 19 | Holly Mack | December 2021 | 2021/22 | Wagga Wagga | Interim Governor due to COVID-19 |
| 20 | Abbey Dawson | January 2022 | 2022 | Bega | |
| 21 | Myles Waciega | July 2022 | 2023 | Seven Hills | |
| 22 | Joshua Shaw | July 2023 | 2024 | Wagga Wagga | Incumbent Youth Governor |
| 23 | Lian Sequeira | July 2024 | 2025 | Gosford | |

## Taskforce

The program is facilitated and supported by a group of volunteers aged between 18 and 25 years and typically are also past participants, these taskforce volunteers or 'taskies' are the lifeblood of NSW Youth Parliament. The YMCA NSW Youth Parliament is the only Youth Parliament across Australia that does not receive funding from the State Government. YMCA funding and a dedicated volunteer taskforce continue to run Youth Parliament. The YMCA NSW Youth Parliament also offers the Press Gallery program. This is an internship program for eligible students facilitating experience in journalism, advocacy, public relations and political reporting as part of the Youth & Government suite of programs.

## Programs

The Youth Parliament has held conferences since 2002, creating and debating bills on a wide range of topics. The YMCA NSW Youth Parliament was held at Sydney Olympic Park Lodge (SOPL) at the Newington Armory in Sydney's Western Suburbs.
The Youth Parliament passed the Same-Sex Marriage Matter of Public Importance (MPI) in 2012 with 70 ayes to 11 noes, with the largest majority of all Youth Parliaments in Australia debating this issue. The young parliamentary members represented the spectrum of opinions. One member stated his belief in the importance of the MPI as a member of the gay community, while another voted against the MPI due to religious beliefs.
In 2013, the Parliamentary and Legal Reform Committee Debated the Marriage Equality Bill 2013. This passed unanimously with 72 ayes to 0 noes. Following the passing of the Bill, the chamber began to sing 'Advance Australia Fair'. This is a first for the YMCA NSW Youth Parliament. The Bill also passed in the Legislative Council with 40 ayes to 4 noes.
In 2019, the Aboriginal Affairs Committee debated a bill to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee within all NSW schools. This is to help improve the cultural standpoints and enable self-determination of Aboriginal people and their communities. This passed unanimously with 67 ayes to 0 noes. The bill was even more significant with the programs first ever Aboriginal premier ushering it through the chamber.
During the 2021/22 program, members from the Aboriginal Affairs, Women's Affairs, and Justice committees united in delivering their Private Members' Statements on the issue of Australia's national public holiday (26 January). The Youth MPs were commended for their bipartisanship and collaboration in uniting on such an important and pressing issue. Notably, two Youth MP's, Samuel Barry Member for The Upper Hunter and Zaccary Lancaster Member for Holsworthy used their Private Members Statements to come out in support of the current date of Australia Day. The Member for The Upper Hunter stating that "We mustn’t be afraid to face our history head on, being accepting of our past yet moving forward as one people".
In 2021, the Aboriginal Affairs Committee advocated for a Bill to implement a framework for cultural education within the NSW juvenile justice system. The Aboriginal Education in Juvenile Detention Bill 2021 outlined the committee's vision for fair and equitable treatment of incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The Bill was passed unanimously and unamended. In March 2022, the Bill was officially presented to The Hon. Ben Franklin, MLC.