Mrs ELIZABETH GRACE (9:55 AM) —On 5 April, on a bright, sunny, autumn afternoon, a group of young people and interested adults joined together in what was classed as the Lilley Youth Forum Conference. On 26 March I spoke in this place about the run-up to the Lilley youth conference and listed what was going to happen there. I would like to report back that the whole exercise was an outstanding success. The young people there expressed their views and opinions openly and freely, and they were very grateful that they had a `hotline' to the government and were able to get their message across to their parliamentary representative.

One of the more interesting resolutions that was passed on that day was one where they asked that a school counsellor be provided in their schools for each school year; these counsellors would be to meet the needs of the young people. The resolution was that these counsellors or mentors would be able to be contracted for a five-year term and would follow a grade through the whole school, throughout the whole time that that grade was in school, and follow their progress. The feeling was that these counsellors would then get to know the students and would be able to help and assist in times of stress and in times of family problems, if they arose.

It was suggested that these counsellors would also be able to help guide the students in choices of careers and with follow-on programs after they left school. They were very keen that the same person would follow them through the five years they were in high school. They felt that being left alone, and having changes every year, they did not get the consistency that they would if they had the same counsellor for that length of time. I thought it was a very commendable and very worthwhile comment.

Among the speakers who were there were Professor Cheryl Hurst, who was Queenslander of the Year this year. Professor Hurst is also Chancellor at QUT. She spoke very strongly on the need for children and young people to stay at school and to gain their education. But she also emphasised the fact that there needs to be education in the form of life skills. It is very important that we start looking at programs whereby young people are taught, from a very early age, some of the life skills and other things they will need to face the outside world.

Some of the things that they did suggest would be further training, which this government has implemented, and life experience programs for all people. They feel that the transition period between primary, secondary and tertiary education needs to be looked at and programs implemented for that. All in all, there were in the vicinity of 12 resolutions passed. (Time expired)

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER —Order! In accordance with sessional order 275A, the time for members' statements has concluded.