Galen students put questions to Helen Haines

Independent Indi MP Helen Haines visited Galen Catholic College on Tuesday 25 August, fielding questions from year 8 students about politics, the role of a federal MP and how she represents the local community in parliament. Year 8 student Emma James said she learnt a lot from Dr Haines, and it was a great session. “I will remember the answer she gave us about the question [from another student who] asked what her opinion was on people in parliament speaking up over others that are already speaking in a debate,” she said. “Her answer was her opinion and it was clear." For student Rylan Russel the highlight of the visit was Dr Haines’ openness with her community and how she enjoys being able to use her job to interact with everyone. “Whether it be events, or simply gathering feedback,” he said. “Adding to this, she is also very open to feedback and suggestions, which I find very important and as a highlight. “Something that I am going to remember from the visit is the goal she is working on to ensure safety during natural disasters and events such as bushfires. “She discussed that some phone carriers/services go down, meaning the one you are using may not work, and means you will not be able to call fire brigades, or even loved ones to say you're okay. “This seems like an important issue, and her working towards this, and recommending the ability to switch between phone carriers will be very important, which is why I am going to remember this.” Dr Haines shared a brief introduction at the start of the session, and students had questions prepared to ask her for the remainder of the hour which she was more than happy to accommodate. Dr Haines said there are 116 schools across Indi, and visiting students is one of the real highlights of her job. “I’m always impressed by the thoughtful questions young people ask and the observations they make about politics and the world around them,” she said. “There’s no point being in parliament to represent the people of Indi unless I know what they think. “Democracy works best when young people understand how they can have a voice and make a difference. “I’ve always believed a good life is one where you have the opportunity to serve others. “There are many ways young people can contribute to their communities, and I hope visits like this help them see the important role they can play in Australia’s democracy and future. “It was also wonderful to congratulate the Galen College band after their performance in parliament last week. “They represented their school and Wangaratta brilliantly.” Galen Catholic College teacher Aron Lombardi they were grateful for the wonderful opportunity for their students, it truly brought their learning to life and provided a memorable experience for everyone involved. “It is extremely important for the young people to have these opportunities as it helps them make a real connection when they learn about government in their humanities lessons,” he said. “I think it is also amazing for our students to get to ask their own questions instead of just listening to a pre-planned speech as it really engages them in the learning and they get answers they are genuinely interested in. “Hopefully this helps our students make strong connections between what we have learnt in class and what Helen talked about, while also learning more about our local community and how Wangaratta is represented in federal parliament.”

Galen students put questions to Helen Haines

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