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| Hello… |
| Welcome to another note from my desk. Except I’m not at my desk this time. As I type, I’m on the plane back to Brisbane having spent a couple of days in Canberra. It’s a place in which I’ve been spending a bit of time recently – reflecting mostly on how lucky we are to be living in a democracy like ours. |
You only have to turn on the television or pick up a newspaper to see what a
privilege it is to live in a country where the government is ultimately answerable to the people. Not to mention one in which peace is a given and our kids have the prospect of a bright future. |
| Why am I being so philosophical? |
I guess it’s partly because we’ve just launched a new competition called ‘PM For A Day’. And it’s one I hope the kids in your life are going to get involved in.
The concept is simple. We’re asking Aussie primary school kids: “If you were Prime Minister for a day, what one thing would you do to make Australia a better place to live?” |
| The best entry – as judged by our crack team of high-profile judges – will win a trip to Canberra for themselves and a parent/guardian – where they’ll get a VIP tour of Parliament House and Government House in Yarralumla, visit Question Time, pop into the Press Gallery and even meet the (actual) PM himself. |
| How cool! |
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| Bryce in the nation’s capital |
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It’s a competition we’re proud to be running in conjunction with the House Speaker, Milton Dick MP and the Office of the Governor General, Sam Mostyn AC.
The judges are pretty fab too. Author and journalist Annabel Crabb, Communications Minister Annika Wells, the ABC’s Jane Norman, House Speaker Milton Dick MP and Shadow Cabinet Secretary Zoe McKenzie MP. |
| What’s the point? |
| It’s all about civics engagement – which is just as important as digital literacy (our other passion) in terms of safeguarding Australia’s democracy. |
| Mis- and disinformation are only going to be turbocharged by AI. The potential for disruption to the democracy we all take for granted is real. |
| By getting kids to learn about our system of participatory democracy – and having them grasp that they’ll one day be its guardians – we’re hopefully making an investment in Australia’s future. |
| So … if you have a kid in your life who thinks they could probably run the country, or if you simply have one that you think would love to spend the day in Canberra as PM For A Day – make sure they submit an entry ASAP! |
Entries close on Friday March 13.
See the Squiz Kids website for details on how to enter.
Afterall – you’ve got to be in it to win it! |
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