Meeting the Prime Minister

Speaking with the Prime Minister one-on-one last Thursday was an experience neither Amelia Sumner (Brigidine College’s Justice and Democracy captain) nor I am ever likely to forget.

'The chance to talk one-on-one with your country’s leader is a privilege rarely enjoyed by most of the world’s population.'
The Caritas team meets Prime Minister Julia Gillard

We were part of a five person Caritas Queensland delegation lucky enough to be picked to meet the Prime Minister prior to the public community forum at Yeronga State High School.

After some initial trepidation, the experience was overwhelmingly positive. We sat around a small table with Ms Gillard and two of her staff. She kindly stated that she was there to hear what we had to say. She was personable, very warm, unpretentious and particularly interested in Amelia’s perspectives on social justice and issues of international development pertaining to women.

I began by thanking the PM for her government’s robust commitment to international aid and for recognising the need to help communities overseas who do not have the basic human rights we enjoy in Australia. I also thanked the government for initiating the Aid Effectiveness Review and commented that Caritas believes the most effective aid is partner-centred and focuses on empowering the poorest of the poor in our world.

Amelia then spoke passionately about how Australian young people care greatly about social justice and are educating themselves and their communities about issues to do with international development. She spoke of the work that Caritas does with schools in promoting the Millennium Development Goals and explained how Brigidine College has taken a special focus this year on issues regarding women and poverty.

“Poverty,” Amelia told the PM,” has a woman’s face... that of a 16 or 17 year old girl, just like me.”

The PM responded to Amelia with enthusiasm and interest, asking her what she wanted to do when leaving school. When Amelia replied “journalism”, the PM laughed and wondered if she might become the first reputable journalist in Australia!

Tricia Ryan, Regional Co-ordinator of Community Engagement for Caritas Queensland, then explained that the response of Queenslanders to the Project Compassion appeal had been incredibly generous this year despite – and perhaps because of – the floods!

Claire Proberts, Senior Years Co-ordinator from Emmaus College, Jimboomba, then engaged the PM with her reflections on her recent Caritas immersion in Bolivia. Claire related what she had learned from the experience and spoke about the role indigenous peoples from Bolivia are playing in educating their country about climate and development issues. The PM seemed interested and quite touched by Claire’s sincerity and enthusiasm.

Jenifer Byrne, Global Educator Adviser, Caritas Queensland, was left with the important job of speaking about the positive way that Caritas’ partners overseas would see this meeting with the PM. Jenifer gave Ms Gillard Caritas educational materials and provided an outline of the A Just Climate petition.

I presented the PM with a vibrant purple cyclamen intended both as a sign of Ms Gillard’s stewardship of the Australian people and as a symbol of Caritas’ focus on sustainability and care for the earth and its people.

The PM seemed genuinely positive and very happy to talk with us. The meeting provided a fine example of female leadership to all of us, especially Amelia, and the entire process demonstrated what democracy in action really looks like.

The chance to talk one-on-one with your country’s leader is a privilege rarely enjoyed by most of the world’s population.

Andree Rice