Mr HAWKER —Every so often one gets a very pleasant surprise in the mail in an electorate office. I received one recently from a grade sixer from the Port Fairy Consolidated School. I would like to read out this letter because I think it is very important to encourage young people to take a keen interest in the nation and its public affairs. It states:

Dear Mr Hawker,

Hello, my name is Brett Willoughby. I'm in grade six at Port Fairy Consolidated School in Victoria. Lately in our music classes we've been singing a song called `We are Australian'.

My grade and I were wondering if you could do something to change our present national anthem to that song?

I wrote to you because our music teacher said you'd be just the person to speak to, and no one else in my grade wanted the opportunity to write to you.

So we're really hoping you can do something about our question. But we hope you don't have to go to too much trouble.

Please write back soon.

We'd really appreciate it if you could help us.

Yours sincerely

Brett Willoughby

I certainly have written back and given quite a lot of information about the current anthem and how it was chosen. I have also passed his remarks on to the Prime Minister (Mr Howard), who, I have no doubt, will respond in due course. I think it is great to see young Australians like this taking a keen interest in national matters. I hope that we can continue to encourage it.