Make speeches

Getting started

• Ask students to imagine that they are a member of parliament. How old would they be? Where would they live? What did they do before their election to Parliament? Why did they choose to run in the election?
• If you have completed the Create your own electorate activity, students can revisit the electorate they created and use this information to inform their speech.  

Activity (45 minutes + presentations)

Different types of parliamentary speeches are outlined below – First speeches, Constituency statements, and Matters of Public Importance. Choose the type of speech that best suits your students and learning outcomes.

First speeches

1. Discuss with students the purpose of a first speech. For example, the first speech allows members and senators to outline their visions and hopes, to thank those who have helped them get elected, acknowledge people who have inspired them and speak about the needs of their electorate. It becomes a public record that other parliamentarians, the public, and the media, may refer to in the future.
2. Watch some clips from the first speeches on the About the House YouTube channel. Take note of similarities and differences between these speeches. Are there any elements students might like to incorporate in their own speeches?
3. Ask the students to write a first speech to present to the Parliament. They might like to use the How to write a first speech scaffold to help them structure their speech. The speech can be any length. You may want to set a time limit that suits the age and ability of your students. In their speech, students should describe:
   • Why they wanted to become a member of parliament
   • What they hope to achieve
   • Issues (local, national, or global) that they are concerned about.
4. Students can present their speeches. You may wish to have students film themselves or present their speech to the class.

Constituency statements

1. Discuss with students the purpose of constituency statements. For example, during constituency statements, members can raise their own topics. This means that a member can identify issues that are important to them and the people in their electorate, rather than just debating bills – proposed laws – most of which are introduced by the government. Constituency statements are on the public record, so the public and the media can hold the government accountable for how they respond to an issue.
2. Watch some examples of constituency statements. These can be found by searching the Federation Chamber on ParlView. The first 30 minutes of every day in the Federation Chamber is dedicated to constituency statements.
3. Ask the students to write their constituency statement. They might like to use the How to write a constituency statement scaffold to help them structure their speech.  Speeches should be no more than 3 minutes long. Popular topics for constituency statements include:
   • Local heroes
   • Local cultural celebrations and events
   • Successes of local sporting teams
   • The impact of government decisions on the local area
   • Historical events and anniversaries
4. Students can present their speeches. You may wish to have students film themselves or present their speech to the class.

Matters of Public Importance

1. Discuss with students the purpose of Matters of Public Importance (MPI) speeches. For example, a Matter of Public Importance is a discussion in Parliament about the government's actions or policies. The topic is usually raised by a shadow minister and, in the House of Representatives, responded to first by the minister in charge of the relevant government department. Matters of Public Importance are discussed in Parliament shortly after Question Time. This is an opportunity for members to debate a current topic of concern and is usually used as a means for the opposition to be critical of government policy.
2. Ask students to choose a matter of public importance to research and write a speech. They may choose a topic in the media, an issue relevant to your community or an issue you’ve been studying in class. Students should prepare a persuasive speech which:
   • Outlines the issue and explains why it is important
   • Describes what could be done about the issue
   • Calls on the Parliament to take action.

Discussion questions

• How do you think members and senators would feel making their first speech?
• Why is it important to raise issues in Parliament that are important to the member and their community?
• What are the benefits of constituency statements?

Extension

There are several speech writing competitions for students to explore an avenue of active citizenship:

• My First Speech (House of Representatives)
• Raise Our Voice in Parliament (Raise Our Voice)
• The Voice Competition (UN Youth Australia)

Alternatively, you can encourage students to get involved through the Office for Youth.

• Parliament at work
• Years 5+6
• Years 7+8