The Year 11 and 12 Politics and Law students were very fortunate to have Canning MP Andrew Hastie join the class for an afternoon. Mr Hastie spoke about his path to becoming a representative in the Commonwealth Parliament, his experience as Assistant Minister for Defence, his current role as the Shadow Defence Minister, and his vision for Australia’s future.
He also spoke about his military background, including his time in the Special Air Service Regiment, and how that experience has proved enormously valuable in his current roles.
There was also a valuable opportunity for students to ask Mr Hastie questions about his experience that related to the Politics and Law syllabus. The students asked him about the importance of Question Time, Ministerial Responsibility, the effectiveness of parliamentary committees, and many other relevant contemporary issues. Mr Hastie’s responses gave a real-world insight into those topics that cannot be found in the textbook, and will be a real benefit for students heading into their Semester 1 Examinations.
Mr Hastie also mentioned the availability of internships at his local Mandurah office, and I hope that Politics and Law students strongly consider that possibility.
On behalf of the Politics and Law students, I would like to thank Mr Hastie for giving up his valuable time, and giving the class a fantastic insight into the current political landscape.