Deputy Premier
Stepping into the role of
Youth Parliament is the Y NSW’s flagship youth leadership and engagement program and has been operating for over 20 years in NSW. With a focus on leadership and advocacy, the program enables high school students in years 10 to 12 to build confidence, develop leadership skills, engage with civic leadership, policy development, and democratic parliamentary debate. Led by young people for young people, each year’s cohort receives training over a six month period that includes in-person camps and online workshops. Participants create Youth Bills with recommendations on issues for change. These are debated during a mock sitting week in NSW Parliament House with Members of Parliament invited to chair. It’s an incredible opportunity for young people to advocate, grow skills and make life-long connections.
~ Youth Parliament Website
My participation in this program was motivated by a strong personal passion for disability rights, mental health awareness and education reform. I was selected through a competitive scholarship program to represent my electorate in the 2025 NSW Youth Parliament. Furthermore, I was elected Deputy Premier by my peers, with the incredible honour of leading, supporting, and amplifying the voices of 45 young people in their legislative journeys. I brought forward ideas that reflect my lived experience, academic research, and recommendations from formal inquiries and had the chance to see them debated and developed into tangible legislative proposals. This is my election speech:
“Hi everyone, my name is Eliza. I’m running for a leadership position because I know what it means to turn challenge into purpose. I believe real change starts when people with lived experience are at the table.
For me, that lived experience includes being in hospital with anorexia, having test anxiety so intense it was mistaken for seizures, and after finally being diagnosed with autism, my school responded by saying they wouldn’t accommodate my disability and asked me to leave.
Those moments shaped my worldview. Some of my closest friends are in foster care, some live with addiction, others go to elite private schools. I’ve learnt to lead across differences, with empathy and strategy.
I’ve been in private, public and specialised schooling. I know the value of every voice in this room. If chosen, I’ll fight for the voices that don’t always make it to the table because I know what it’s like to not have a seat there. Thank you.”
I was appointed to the Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Committee and co-authored the Needs-Based Transition Support (Young People with Disabilities) Bill 2025, advocating for inclusive policy reform. My responsibilities included leading parliamentary debates, consulting with stakeholders, and representing youth voices in legislative processes.
This incredible experience changed my life. It gave me the opportunity to connect with over 90 young people from across the state, each with powerful stories, unique perspectives, and a shared passion to make change. I have left with stregthened skills in policy development, public speaking and community consultation.
