Media Release by The Hon Sussan Ley MP

Roundtable 2005 – A Voice For Australia’s Youth

Applications for membership of the National Youth Roundtable 2005 are now open. If you’re aged between 15-24 you can apply to be part of this prestigious group of tomorrow’s leaders.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Children and Youth Affairs, Mrs Sussan Ley, encouraged young Australians to join the National Youth Roundtable, which is now in its sixth year.

“The Roundtable is the centrepiece of the Australian Government’s youth consultation mechanisms and it brings together young people to discuss issues that have an impact on youth,” Mrs Ley said.

“Members address issues of importance to the Australian Government relating to youth and work in collaboration with relevant Government departments and Members of Parliament, in consultation with their communities.

“Last year over 660 young Australians from across the country applied for one of the seats on the hotly contested Roundtable.

“Roundtable 2004 included young Australians from urban, rural and regional communities across Australia, including a number of Indigenous members and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

“The members had a variety of backgrounds and experiences, many of them were studying, while others were in the workforce and some were parents,” Mrs Ley said.

The Australian Government meets all accommodation and travel costs and additional assistance is available for members with special needs. Workshops are held to help prepare members for their role in the Roundtable.

Facilitators and FaCS staff will support Roundtable members throughout their term to ensure participants are fully informed and actively involved. This includes a range of resources, from written materials through to teleconferencing and an Internet site.

Applications close 11 March 2005 at 5pm and only hardcopies will be accepted.

Application forms and information on the Roundtable are available online at The Source website (www.thesource.gov.au), or by emailing Roundtable (roundtable@thesource.gov.au) or by calling 1800 624 309 (free call).

Related information

The Source