BSSC was pleased to welcome Federal Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus KC MP, and Ms Lisa Chesters MP, Federal Member for Bendigo, to address Legal Studies, Politics and other interested students and staff yesterday afternoon.
Attorney General Dreyfus, who last visited BSSC over a decade ago, was introduced by Lisa who gave a brief overview of his role.
He then spoke of his passion for law reform in general, and how pleased he is to see the new Federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal ready to commence its role this October.
“I have a big job that would be impossible to do alone, but I have a great team who provide masses of advice,” he said.
Students were invited to take this valuable opportunity to ask their questions directly to the Attorney General or to our local representative.
Their questions focused on issues such as: how well politicians truly represent modern Australia, why it took so long to establish the Federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal, whether the voting age should be lowered to sixteen years, and Australia’s response to the Middle East crisis.
Despite a tight schedule, both politicians were generous with their time and stayed to continue conversations with students once the more formal event concluded.
“Attorney General Dreyfus carries enormous responsibilities,” Lisa said. “However, he enjoys events like these which are important for maintaining connection to the wider community.
“He also wants to encourage our future leaders to recognise the opportunities open to them—and when I think back to my (public) school days, I would have loved an opportunity like this.”
