ON MONDAY, September 14, the winners of the My First Speech competition for 2026 will travel to Canberra to deliver their speeches to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP, and Members of Parliament.

The My First Speech competition invites students to imagine themselves as a newly elected Member of the House of Representatives and write a 500-word speech on a topic they are passionate about.

This year, more than 500 entries from students across Australia were submitted. Entries were shortlisted by the Department of the House of Representatives and the three winners – one each from Years 10, 11 and 12 – were selected by a judging panel, convened by the Speaker, consisting of the Member for Barton, Ash Ambihaipahar MP and the Member for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie MP.

The Speaker said, "The My First Speech Competition is a fantastic way for our future leaders to engage with democracy and speak about the issues that matter most to them.

"It is so important that we continue to create opportunities for young Australians to connect with their Parliament," he said. "Hearing their voices, ideas and perspectives is a sign of a vibrant and healthy democracy, and something I am deeply passionate about."

My First Speech Competition 2026 – Winners’ Presentation Event & Speeches

Monday 14 September 2026, 11am – 11.45am
Presiding Officers Exhibition Area, Level 1, public area (near the post office)
Parliament House, Canberra

To find out more, please visit My First Speech competition. 

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will hear from council representative bodies in Victoria and Northern Australia as part of its inquiry into local government funding.

The committee is interested in learning more about the financial sustainability of local government from the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA), the Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM), the Torres Cape Indigenous Council Alliance (TCICA) and the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT).

This includes how local governments are responding to challenges in their regions or cities such as workforce shortages, rising infrastructure costs, climate change, and managing environmental, heritage, energy and water issues.

Committee Chair, Fiona Phillips, said, "The committee wants to hear more about the differing challenges facing councils in metropolitan Melbourne, regional Victoria and remote Northern Australia, particularly those serving Indigenous communities, and the support available to them.”

Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing

Date: Friday, 11 September 2026
Time: 9am – 12pm
Location: Committee Room 1R5, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry website. A live broadcast of the hearing will also be available on the APH website.

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport will hear from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and constitutional law expert, Professor Anne Twomey, as part of its inquiry into local government funding.

The committee said it was keen to learn more about how the department manages its responsibilities in relation to the financial sustainability of local government. This includes how local governments are responding to climate change, and managing environmental, heritage, energy and water issues.

Committee Chair, Fiona Phillips, said, “Following our recent hearings in South Australia and listening to coastal councils struggling with the cost of maintaining and rebuilding local jetties, the Committee wants to hear more about the impact of climate change on local governments and the support available to them.”

The Department manages a range of programs accessed by councils such as the Local Environmental Projects Program and the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program.  The committee will explore the barriers to accessing funding and how the Commonwealth can improve the effectiveness and coordination of funding provided to local governments.

The committee will also hear from Prof. Twomey, who is an Australian academic and lawyer specialising in Australian constitutional law. The committee will explore how the lack of constitutional recognition affects the financial sustainability of local governments.

Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing

Date: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Time: 11am – 12.30pm
Location: Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

THE Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme will hear from representatives of the Department of Social Services at a public hearing in Canberra on Friday, September 11, as part of its inquiry into the continuing operation of the scheme.

Committee Chair, Jodie Belyea MP, said the hearing comes at a pivotal time for the scheme, with the statutory Eighth Anniversary Review underway and less than a year remaining before applications to the scheme are due to close.

"With only 10 months until applications close, the committee is seeking to understand how the Department is preparing for what is expected to be an intensive final phase of the Scheme," Ms Belyea said. "This evidence will be particularly important as the committee finalises its hearings and prepares its report and recommendations for tabling in October."

Ms Belyea noted that the National Redress Scheme is vast in complexity and scale.

"The committee recognises that the scheme is one of the most significant redress pathways available to victim-survivors, and is keen to ensure the Department has clear plans in place to manage what is likely to be a demanding period ahead," she said.

Issues relating to the experience of applicants, barriers to submitting applications, and access to the Scheme for vulnerable cohorts have emerged as key themes during the inquiry.

The committee is also closely examining processing times and the Department's capacity to manage a possible surge in applications as the Scheme approaches its closing date.

"The committee is particularly interested in the strategies that have been implemented to ensure applications are determined in a manner that is safe, trauma-informed, respectful and dignified," Ms Belyea said.

More information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and submissions, can be found on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearing details

Date: Friday, 11 September 2026
Time: 9am – 10am (AEST)
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

A program for the public hearing is available on the inquiry webpage.

Public hearings are broadcast live on the Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal.

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