St Gerard’s student leaders spend afternoon at Parliament House
04 December 2023
Sharing a seat at the table for a day, three Year 6 students from St Gerards Catholic Primary School were given the rare opportunity to engage with the Hon David Michael, Member for Balcatta, at Parliament House.
Hon Michael who is the Minister for Ports, Road Safety and Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport said he makes it a priority to visit the schools in his electorate annually and take time to share a meal with the students to discuss the happenings at each individual school.
At the event dubbed Leadership Lunch, the Minister shared information about his current projects. Having recently returned from a trip to Port Hedland, students learnt a lot about ports and significant priorities in his portfolio. He spoke fondly of his former high school, Servite College, where some of the St Gerard’s Year 6 students will be heading next year.
At the conclusion of lunch, the group were given a tour of Parliament House and even got to enter the Legislative Assembly.
Students were excited to hear about the Minister’s pet cats and his passion for his favourite sporting teams Fremantle Dockers, Perth Wildcats and Claremont Tigers.
Harleen Dhanda said, “I really liked hearing about all the impactful work that Minister Michael does. He is very kind and generous with his time.”
Principal Lisa Meyers extended her appreciation, acknowledging the Minister’s commitment to fostering connectivity between schools and the community.
“It was another wonderful opportunity for our students to gain a deeper understanding of Government and what happens around them. We thank Hon Michael for his kindness, hospitality and for creating a memorable experience for our students,” Tanya Davis, Year 6 teacher said.
“Visiting local politicians at Parliament House is a unique and effective way to strengthen school-community ties and create meaningful conversations between students and decision makers. Our students are very blessed they had this experience with Minister Michael and we thank him.”
