[intro music]

TONY DAVEY: Welcome to the 2023 state final for the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. This is the Years 3 and 4 state final today. It's good to see such an amazing crowd of you guys. Thanks for coming along to support this event.

I want to begin by acknowledging that we're obviously meeting on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and I want to extend my respect to the members of those nations and also to all First Nations people who are joining us here today and extend my respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

So my name is Tony Davey. I help to run this competition along with some of the other public speaking and debating competitions in the NSW Department of Education. I'm going to hand over to our chairperson and timekeeper who are from Avoca Beach Public School.

Hudson Douglas was one of Avoca Beach's multicultural representatives at the local final. He's going to run you through the competition. And your timer today is Amelia Daroida. Amelia was also one of those representatives. Thank you to Avoca Beach for helping us out and best of luck to all 10 contestants. I'm going to hand you over to Hudson. Please give him a hand.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Thank you, Mr. Davey. Ladies and gentlemen, in the Years 3 and 4 prepared speech section, each student may speak for 3 minutes. There will be a warning bell at 2 minutes with 2 bells at 3 minutes to indicate that the speaker's time has expired. A continuous bell will be rung at 4 minutes.

The first speaker this morning is Zane Napton from Avoca Beach Public School on the Central Coast. The subject of Zane's speech is 'When does a migrant become an Australian?' Please welcome Zane to the stage.

[applause]

ZANE NAPTON: I was wheeling my trolley in the supermarket the other day when my dad called over to me, 'Hey, Zano, can you grab some red peppers and some courgettes?' I was so embarrassed. I thought to myself, 'Mate, is he even Australian? He's been here for 12 years and still doesn't know it's a capsicum and a zucchini.' It made me think, can a migrant ever truly be Australian? Is being Australian just somebody that will contribute to society and live within our country's laws? Or do you have to be born here.

Sometimes I wonder because I only moved to my hometown 6 years ago, so maybe I'm not from there. Some adults believe that you have to grow up in your town and have generations that have connections back to your town to actually be considered a local. Maybe my parents will never be, but will I? I mean, I go to school there. I play sports there. I'm part of the soccer and surf club. What more do I need to do?

I can imagine this is how migrants must feel but on a much, much larger scale. Maybe they will feel like they never truly fit in. And how many generations back do you need to go to be considered Australian? Technically, although I was born in Gosford, Australia, so was my mum. My dad was born in West Germany but is British, so I'm half British too. Does that mean it will be my kids that are Australian? But on the other side, my mum can trace her family back to the Second Fleet. It's quite a lot of generations.

Have you ever noticed how true Australians shorten absolutely everything they say and have some really weird slang? Well, when my dad first came to Australia with my mum 25 years ago, she introduced him to a neighbour as, 'Hi, this is Darren.' In return, he got, 'G'day, Dazza. How's it goin' mate?'

Maybe you're only Australian if you get a nickname, or you understand what trackie daks, a sanga and chucking a uey are. Well, even if you've been to Woop Woop--

[bell]

--or even if you answer a question with nah, yeah or yeah, nah. I also thought, am I truly Australian because I'm not aboriginal? I'm of white descent. I know a lot of people that call themselves Australian, but they're not Indigenous Australians, so they might not actually be Australian.

At each formal event in my area on the Central Coast, we pay our respects to the Darkinjung people who belong to the land where the event has taken place. Are these the only true Australians? It depends on how you classify it. Some people say you have to be born here. Some people say you have to be Indigenous to this country. And some people, like my dad, would make a list longer than a giraffe's neck to tell me why they are Australian.

But in the end, are Indigenous Australians really the only true Australians? I believe that it doesn't matter if you are a First Nations people, you are born here--

[bell]

--or that you migrated here a week ago. My dad would argue with me that he's had his citizenship test. He has pledged allegiance to Australia. He works in public services as a firefighter. He pays taxes. He has children and a wife that were all born here. He owns property and he gives back to the community whenever he can.

I can see where he's coming from. But if he's still saying 'vit-amins' and 'yoggit' and refuses to wear thongs, then he's still got a very, very long way to go.

[cheers and applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: The second speaker is Katarina Djolic from Greenway Park Public School in South Western Sydney. Katarina's speech is titled 'A safe place to call home'. Please welcome Katarina.

[applause]

KATARINA DJOLIC: Wailing sirens. The sky lighting up and noises the sound like very loud firecrackers. Running, scared. A dark, damp underground shelter. These are some of my mum's childhood memories. You see, my mum wasn't born in Australia. She came here to our amazing and safe country as a refugee of the Yugoslavian war when she was 9 years old.

My baka and deda, which means grandma and grandpa in Serbian, wanted to give my mum a better life, a safe place to call home. My mum told me how all the houses look different in Australia. She had never seen a fibro house in her life.

How her face scrunched up when she first tasted Vegemite. She spat it out from the shock of the taste! How huge the waves looked at Bondi Beach and how scary her first day of school was in Australia. She cried all day because she didn't understand or speak any English. She was in Year 3, just like I am right now.

My mum always talks about her first primary school teacher in Australia, Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson found a violin for my mum to play so she could keep practising like she had done before she came to Australia. He helped my mum to learn English by finding creative ways that were interesting to learn. He made school less scary for my mum and gave her confidence to talk and write in English. In his classroom, she felt accepted and said it was a home away from home.

A safe place to call home can mean other things besides a new country. It can mean any place where you feel secure and accepted, where you share and create memories and nurture relationships with family and friends. My grandparents also had to learn English.

[bell]

They became my friends with people from all over the world that were immigrants just like them. I love it when we all get together to celebrate important cultural days with friends and family who now include people from other countries that now call Australia home. We now have friends and family that are Australian, English, Nepalese, Italian and South African, just to name a few.

My grandparents celebrate a Serbian tradition called Slava every year where all of our family and friends come together to eat way too much food and socialise. It's the best day ever! Everyone loves my grandma's sarma, which is meat and cabbage rolls. I love the meat but not the smelly cabbage.

There are now 4 generations in my family who call Australia home, my great grandma, who also came to Russia as a refugee, my grandparents, my mum, my brothers and I.

[bell]

I feel lucky that my family lives in Australia. At the same time, I'm proud of my Serbian heritage. We are lucky to live in a vibrant, multicultural country where we can express ourselves for who we are. While it isn't always perfect and we as a country are constantly evolving and learning, I'm proud that this is my safe place that I call home.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: The third speaker this morning is Nina Bezbradica, who represents Pleasant Heights Public School in Wollongong. Nina's speech is called 'Watch your language'. Please welcome Nina down to the stage.

[applause]

NINA BEZBRADICA: Should I speak? What should I say, or say nothing at all? There's a time and a place, isn't there?

But it's more than that. It's the words you choose to say that matter, too. We all need to watch our language, but it's not just in front of our parents.

Words are powerful. How we choose to deliver the words and their intended meaning can heal or hurt. And in a multicultural country such as ours, we must watch our language. The language we use should unite us.

Oh and in case you didn't know, it's the law. To use racist or hurtful language is an offence. Yes, that's right. Call someone a W-O-G because of their surname and they might report you.

So my surname isn't Smith. Does that make me any less human, loved, valued? No, it does not. In fact, the way I see it, it's an advantage. I speak another language. I've been to Europe 4 times and I'm only 10.

But more importantly, my experiences are shared experiences. I talk about my Croatian culture a lot and hopefully--

[bell]

--it will break down barriers and help people to understand and respect my multicultural background.

Enough about me. Let's go straight to the top-- the federal government. The Australian Multicultural Council is a government organisation dedicated to making sure Australia's multicultural values when it comes to religion, race and culture are respected. How ironic that the federal government has made it law to outlaw hate speech, but politicians are often the ones who don't watch their language. Last year, Senator Pauline--

[beep]

--Hanson told another senator over social media to 'Bleep off back to Pakistan'. How disgraceful. Senator Mareen Faruki is taking her to court over it. Politicians are supposed to represent people in government.

The language inside Parliament House is not much better. Have you ever watched Question Time at Parliament House? Wow. They're worse than a bunch of kids in the playground, grown men and women in suits, in power, speaking disgracefully to one another deliberately. I started this speech with asking us all to watch our language. Well, maybe it's the adults that need to take note and watch their language in front of us kids. Politicians, take note.

And how many of you have been scared by the news whenever they start talking about Australia and foreign countries? I know I have. I've had to ask my mum many times--

[bell]

--'Why do they keep describing trade talks as 'tension between the 2 countries?' There's a lot to be said about how the media reports on these issues. You often hear the news starting with dialogue between the 2 countries. Yes, dialogue, talking, language. The media has a big role to play when it comes to how it uses language.

There's a word for that, too-- propaganda, which is information used deliberately to sway an opinion, or worse. Whether it's written word or spoken word, we must always choose the right words because the pen really is mightier than the sword. So watch your language.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Our fourth speaker is Kayla Soukhavong, who goes to Eastwood Public School on the North Shore. The subject of Kayla's speech is 'When does a migrant become an Australian?' Please put your hands together for Kayla.

[applause]

KAYLA SOUKHAVONG: Growing up in a migrant family, the topic of when does a migrant become an Australian is one that hits close to home. I always identify myself as an Aussie girl, but what about my family's thoughts? I first asked my mum. She answered, when you enjoy avocado or Vegemite on toast or brekkie, you have become an Australian! What?

So I turned to my dad. He replied, you're an Aussie if you enjoy spending your Saturday mornings at Bunnings and having a sausage sandwich, then coming back home to have a barbie. What? There must be more to it.

Is it to hold An Australian passport? Is it to have an Aussie accent and say 'no worries' to everything? It took me a long time to think until I found my answer on a weekend trip to a Hindu temple near Wollongong. My parents brought me here to observe the Hindu culture.

We saw people praying. I felt like I was not in Australia since everyone was so different to me. As I was feeling confused, I saw a familiar face. Is that my friend Sita? She was wearing a sari and praying.

She saw me and happily ran to me. Sita is one of my Aussiest friends, but she told me she comes to this temple to celebrate her Hindu heritage. I suddenly understood that we're all Australians. Being an Australian does not mean you only celebrate Easter and Christmas. Australians celebrate their own heritage too.

Being an Australian is about being part of a diverse and inclusive community that celebrates our differences and values. From the First Nations people to the waves of immigrants who have come here since our First Fleet, our diversity is our strength.

[bell]

We celebrate our diversity and come together as one, just like a couple of months ago as the FIFA Women's World cup. Everyone was packed in stadiums, pubs and homes to cheer for our Matildas. Every Australian was on the edge of the seat and lost their minds when we made it to the semi-finals. This celebration and feeling of belonging is what defines us as Australians.

So when does a migrant become an Australian? It's when you feel your heart belongs to this magical land. It's when we embrace each other's differences and culture. It's when we accept who we are. It's when we call ourselves Aussie and are proud of our own heritage at the same time.

I challenge you all to cherish your cultural heritage, listen and share your ancestors' stories, learn the language, research your family's history. We can do so much more.

For me, I'll start by eating my Vegemite and smashed avocado on toast alongside a plate of my grandma's Chinese dumplings. Thank you.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: The fifth speaker today is Purdey Killips, all the way from Brunswick Heads Public School on the far North Coast. Purdey's speech is called 'Racism-- no way!' Please welcome Purdey out to the front.

[applause]

PURDEY KILLIPS: 'What's yer new doctor's name, Mavis?'

'Wing-Wang-Wong or summit like that.'

'Not another Asian!'

'This is Australia,' said Mavis. 'You got to be happy with what you get.'

This actual conversation took place in a hairdresser's in Queensland. Seated next to them was my father, who just left a supermarket where someone had pushed in front of him and snapped, 'Are you sure you've only got 12 items in that basket?' My father, who's half Chinese but raised in England, replied in his best English accent, 'I am quite sure, thank you. Do you wish to count them?'

Sadly, these were not the only incidents of racism my father experienced when he arrived in Australia. Shopkeepers and bank tellers ignored him and served others. Even police officers stopped him for no apparent reason.

However, as soon as they heard him speak perfect English, they apologised profusely and treated him courteously. My father was so shocked by the racism, he almost caught the next flight back to England. If he'd done so, he wouldn't have met my mother and happy old me wouldn't be here. In short, I was nearly not born because of racism!

The famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King said, 'Racism is one of the great evils, possibly the great evil from which other evils flow.' My father countered racism by replying in his best English accent, but this didn't cure it. It merely held it in check.

To end racism demands much more. It requires education and understanding--

[bell]

--for understanding reduces fear and racism is fundamentally fear of the unknown. It is up to us, the young children of Australia, to effect change. We have young, fresh minds untainted by habitual acceptance. We should begin the dialogue, search Google, or visit a library and educate ourselves.

There are so many books I can't list them, but I highly recommend 'What is Racism?' by Terri Casey, aimed at helping kids understand racism and how to take what she calls 'kid-action' to inspire hope and change.

And there's another book which was released just 2 months ago called 'A Kid's Book About Racism' by Jel Memory. This explains racism and how it affects us--

[bell]

--and what we can do about it, so we can each play our part to bring about change and end what Martin Luther King said was 'This greatest of evils'.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Our sixth speaker this morning is Remy Dole, who comes from Hornsby Heights Public School in Northern Sydney. The subject of Remy's speech is 'A safe place to call home'. Please welcome Remy to the stage.

[applause]

REMY DOLE: I was watching a movie the other day called 'The Castle'. In the movie, Daryl Kerrigan's barrister tells the court, 'You can acquire a house, but you can't acquire a home because a home is not built of bricks and mortar but of love. It got me thinking about Australia being a new home for so many people.

Did you know that one person arrives to live in Australia every 44 seconds? In my opinion, a home should be 3 things. One, place where you feel free and safe. Two, a place where you belong. And 3, where you feel supported and loved.

Firstly, for people to feel at home in Australia, they need to feel free and safe. When I'm at home, I know I'm safe. I also know when I'm not doing any chores or homework, I am free to do whatever I want to do. Sometimes I might even go a full day without putting any pants on just because I feel like it. People from other cultures should feel safe walking around the streets and free to wear the clothes that they want to wear.

That brings me to my next point-- that a home should make you feel that you belong. When I was little, I used to think our national anthem said (SINGING) Australians all let ostriches.

But now, I realise it says, let us all rejoice that we are one and free. When we say we are one, it means no matter where you come from, you belong here.

[bell]

If you walked into my house, you would see photos of me everywhere and all my drawings stuck on the kitchen cupboards. I know I belong there. For people to feel that way in Australia, they need to see people who look like them and sound like them on TV and in books.

Finally, a home is a place to grow up where you feel supported and loved. That means that people from other cultures should be able to apply for jobs and other opportunities without racism. There should be help for the people who need it because moving into another country is hard. I know that if I try hard, I can do anything and that should be the same for everyone.

In the movie, Daryl Kerrigan says, 'A man's home is his castle.'

[bell]

He knows how important it is to have a place to call home. So what can you do to make Australia feel like a home, not just a house?

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: The seventh speaker today is Claire Feeney, who has made the trip from Bangalow Public School on the Far North Coast. Claire's speech is titled 'Watch your language'. Please put your hands together for Claire.

[applause]

CLAIRE FEENEY: The language we use is important and we need to watch it. Let me tell you about how I learnt this lesson the hard way. In class last term, we were colouring in pictures of beautiful sea turtles. And all the kids on my table were sharing a tub of crayons. I was up to a part where I needed a colour that was somewhere in between pink and light brown. And I noticed that my friend across from me had the exact colour I needed. This is where it all went a bit wrong.

I asked him, 'Hey, can I please have a skin-coloured crayon?' Straight away, I saw that the colour crayon I was asking for was definitely not the same colour as the skin tone of my friend. I felt horrible. My friend gave me a glare and passed me the crayon. I could tell that he was a bit upset and he had every reason to be. Of course, I said sorry, but I still felt bad about it.

It got me thinking about why I had called the peach crayon skin colour. When I had done some research, I found out that the skin-coloured crayon was renamed peach way back in 1962, so it's pretty confusing that I still somehow learned to call it skin colour.

What colour is skin colour anyway? Everybody's skin colour is different. I've seen skins from pale snow white to the darkest brown. My own skin changes colour to a bright pink if I get sunburnt or a light brown if I have a tan in summer.

Calling a peach coloured crayon skin colour makes it only seem like there's one correct skin colour, which just isn't true. I'll never ask for a fur colour crayon because, obviously, fur comes in many colours. The same is true about people's skin.

So why did I ask for a skin-coloured crayon? Somewhere along the way, I still learnt it wrong. Language is how we communicate and when the words we use exclude others, it can be hurtful. The language we choose to use is important. And I forgot to watch my language.

[bell]

But I know I'm not the only one to make this mistake. I've heard my mum ask me to grab her nude coloured bra and undies from the dryer. And I've seen nude nail polish for sale in the shops and all the foundation products in the shade nude beige.

Thankfully, these days, crayons, pencils and paints have much better names to describe the range of tones that skin can be, such as light tan and almond brown. I like the colours that sound yummy, like caramel or custard. What about a cinnamon donut crayon? We can all imagine that colour. There are so many better options than just skin colour.

We need to do better with our language choices. Differences are beautiful, equal and they should all be celebrated. But unless we choose to use this more inclusive language, the term skin colour won't go away. And I don't want my kids still calling the skin colour crayon peach. I want that time when I was colouring in the sea turtle to be the last time I call any colour skin colour.

I hope you, too, can be more mindful and practise--

[bell]

--watching your language. After all, it's these little changes that add up to make the big change we all want to see. If you slip up like I did, it's OK. Everybody makes mistakes. Just make sure to say sorry quickly. It shows the other person that you were trying to do better. Remember, the language we choose to use is important and we need to watch it.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Our eighth speaker is Olivia Wright, who goes to Ashfield Public School in Sydney's Inner West. Olivia's speech is called 'Advance Australia Fair'. Please welcome Olivia down to the stage.

OLIVIA WRIGHT: 'Advance Australia Fair--' those famous words in our national anthem. What do they mean? I think they mean that everyone should be included in society.

Om Dhungel is a 62-year-old man who moved to Australia 25 years ago with his wife, Saroja and their daughter, Smriti, from Bhutan as refugees. The Bhutanese government would try to kill or torture people of Nepalese heritage. Om's father had been tortured twice, so they fled Bhutan.

Today, Om is a respected Blacktown community leader. He has helped settle over 5,000 Bhutanese refugees. He recently wrote a book and was in the news advocating better ways to include refugees in Australian society.

In his community, Om has worked hard to encourage refugees to volunteer and use and develop their skills. As a result, the NSW Bhutanese community have very high employment rates and over 60% own their own home. This is a great example of what can happen if we give people equal opportunities to participate in society.

At my school, students are encouraged to learn, work hard in our school subjects and to pursue other interests, such as music, sport, drama, robotics and of course, public speaking. We are told we can become anything when we grow up. My friends and I could be scientists, politicians, teachers, activists. Maybe one day, if I work hard enough, I could have my own 3-Michelin star restaurant.

It is amazing that us lucky kids have all of this, but if we really want to 'advance Australia fair,' we have to share these opportunities with those who come to our country, like Om does. Australia has a long history of accepting refugees. And the government is planning to let around 17,000 refugees settle this year.

[bell]

This is very positive, but there have been many policies in recent years that have framed refugees as victims and sometimes villains coming into Australia illegally. But it is not illegal to seek refuge. What can we do? We need to change the way we think about these refugees. Many are highly skilled, resourceful and resilient, ready to make a difference.

We need to provide them with resources, like our teachers and principals do for all of us. So I ask again, what does 'Advance Australia Fair' mean? To me, it means a fair society where all of us are welcome. After all, we have boundless plans to share.

So think about Om and his lesson of inclusion and how this can inspire a fairer society where all of us can work to 'advance Australia fair'.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Our second-last speaker this morning is Lydia Roberts from Ladysmith Public School, which is just outside Wagga Wagga. The title of Lydia's speech is 'When does a migrant become an Australian?' Please welcome Lydia.

[applause]

LYDIA ROBERTS: When does a migrant become an Australian? Well, you might think it's all about documents and paperwork, but I believe that a migrant becomes an Australian when they feel connected to the land and feel like they belong. Helping a migrant feel like they belong is important. Just imagine if the world only had 100 people, 20 would not have a safe place to live. And some of those people could be migrants. So open the door to migrants. Racism-- no way!

Racism causes people to change themselves to fit in and that is not OK. They won't need to feel this way if we all help them belong. How? Just go and talk to them. It might just brighten their day.

Documents and paperwork are one thing. Needing a safe home is another. To become connected to the land, they need to feel happy here, so help. Don't turn down migrants. Help!

Dina Nayeri, who was a migrant herself, once said, 'It is the responsibility of every person born in a safer room to open the door when someone in danger knocks.' We are in a very safe room.

Now, back to that pesky paperwork. Migrants can become citizens, but it's not easy. Why not? Because they're different?

There are certain steps to becoming a citizen. First, you need a $4,000 to $8,000 visa just to get into the country. Imagine having to pay for freedom.

The second step is becoming a permanent resident. There are rules about when you can come and go and even when you can visit your home country. Next, you need to sit the test to see if you're a worthy citizen. Then, finally, you can become a citizen of Australia, which probably would be very rewarding.

You're probably thinking, why does anyone want to come to Australia anyway? Sometimes for work, family and even seeking safety from wars. It's also good for Australia because it fills other jobs, like doctors and nurses, that have been vacant.

[bell]

Becoming an Australian is difficult, not only because of the paperwork but because you don't know the language yet. Imagine if you spoke Italian, Spanish, Japanese, or any of those other fascinating languages for that matter. If you came to a totally different country with no idea how to speak the languages, how would you feel?

For example, I don't know if any of you have ever heard of the book 'Kerosene Tin Jim', but it's a true story about a Greek boy who travelled to Australia all alone. At first, Dimitrios felt scared because he only knew a few words of English and had no money or family with him. The locals grew to like him and taught him English, but he didn't yet feel connected to them or this new place.

One day, Dimitrios came across some Greek fishermen who had also made Australia their home. Those fishermen showed him an island where he truly felt connected. There were challenges--

[bell]

--but because those kind fishermen opened the door, he kept going and made Australia and the island his home. He didn't need to change himself to fit in then. We can all help migrants feel like they belong. Go and have a chat. Start a conversation. Remember, we are in the safer room.

I hope you've realised now that becoming an Australian is not just about documents and paperwork, but it's also about feeling connected to the land and feeling like they belong too. Is there a migrant in your street? Why don't you go and talk to them? They'll probably have a million amazing stories to share with you.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: The final speaker in this section is Isla Pilgrim from Kurrajong Public School near Richmond in Western Sydney. The subject of Isla's speech is 'A safe place to call home'. Please welcome Isla down to the front.

[applause]

ISLA PILGRIM: I spend most of my weekends asking mum, 'Can we go somewhere?' Home is boring. There's always dirty socks on the floor and the same old meal for dinner. But last weekend, I watched 'The Wizard of Oz'. At first, I thought, oh, some old movie about a green witch and a man that looks like a teapot.

But Dorothy's wish for home really made me think. Maybe my weekends are OK. Maybe there is really no place like home.

Dorothy just wants the safety of her home. But why is her wish so special? Isn't a safe place to call home a right for every child? Sadly, for our Aboriginal children, in particular, this is not the case.

To me, home is not about the bricks or the roof. It's about a place where I feel I can be myself. It's about the conversations around the dinner table and the family calendar on the fridge that shows I belong somewhere. I am connected, loved and safe.

But sadly, too many children, Australian children, do not have that safe place. And this is not a new problem. For a period of 60 years in our country's history, we took Aboriginal children from their safe place. We stole them from their families and placed them in strange new houses. We took what was familiar, their languages and their customs. We didn't give them homes. We gave them the unknown.

Now, we might think that this was a mistake in the past and that it has nothing to do with us or with today, but that would be wrong. When we took generations of Aboriginal children, we created a gap, a gap that we have not filled. There are currently more than 19,000 children homeless in Australia. One in 3 of these children were Aboriginal. In fact, the percentage of Aboriginal children who are homeless is 10 times higher than it is for non-Aboriginal children.

[bell]

So we can't pretend that the history of our mistakes is not still affecting our children today. The trauma caused by the Stolen Generation has created a vicious cycle and we are clearly not doing enough to make up for the mistakes of the past. When an Aboriginal child is without a home, they lose so much-- a sense of belonging, self-worth and connection to country. So we must find a safe home for all those kids. We can't just wish like Dorothy does. We must act. And it starts with recognising the mistakes of the past and accepting responsibility.

Our government has done a lot towards reconciliation, but we all need to do more. We need to support families sooner before there are problems. We need to help people talk through their difficulties and provide funding to support them. I'm sure you can all think of someone who's struggling to hold on to a safe place to call home. Well, you can help.

We can offer to pay, offer a chance, offer to listen and talk. We need more outreach programs--

[bell]

--and more community recognition that we are still stuffing up when it comes to supporting Aboriginal families because we need to recognise the importance of a safe home. Every single Australian child deserves a safe place to go home-- their socks on the floor, their place at dinner table and their name on the calendar that hangs proudly on the fridge. We need a safe home for every Aboriginal child on Aboriginal land because, really, we are all like Dorothy. We all there's really no place like home.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Welcome back to the impromptu section of this Multicultural Perspectives state final. In the Years 3 and 4 impromptu speech section, the students have 5 minutes in which to prepare a speech on a general topic provided by the adjudicators. Each speaker then speaks for one minute with a warning bell at 30 seconds and 2 bells at one minute to indicate that the speaker's time has expired. A continuous bell will be rung at one-and-a-half minutes. The topic for the impromptu speech section is 'Impossible'. Please welcome back Zane Napton.

[applause]

ZANE NAPTON: Impossible. Our teachers always say nothing is impossible, but is this really true? I mean, whenever somebody says it, we all are like, does that mean I can fly, or does that mean I can have superhuman powers, like being invisible?

These things would be so cool. Imagine not having to pay for flights and just being able to go to your favourite country whenever you want. Or when somebody's stuck--

[bell]

--and needs some help, you could use your superhuman powers to save the day and be recognised as one of the greatest humans ever! This would be amazing. But are teachers really telling the truth? If this was true and I could fly, I'm definitely giving it a go. I would really like to go to Italy to have some yummy pizza,

[bell]

--pasta, or even gelato.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Katarina Djolic.

[applause]

KATARINA DJOLIC: Mum, this is impossible! Miss, this is impossible! Have you ever told your parents or your teachers that something is impossible? Well, I have many times.

For an example, when I get homework on Friday, I just sit in a chair and do my homework. But I tell my Mum, 'Mum, this is so hard. It's impossible.' But the only reason I do that is because I want to get away from the work.

[bell]

Another time that this happened to me, it was when I got to school. I'm so bad at math and all I want to do is get out of the work. I say, 'Miss, can you give me extra time to do my work?' I get so frustrated when she says no!

So to end my speech, kids, we think differently. We think cheeky and smart.

[bell]

So next, can you think, have you ever said that something's impossible?

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Nina Bezbradica.

[applause]

NINA BEZBRADICA: Impossible? What does it mean? Well, it has the word possible in it, so does that mean it's not a word, or does it mean that its meaning isn't true?

Well, a week ago, I thought this was impossible-- standing here, speaking in front of all these people. Well, I'm here now and I'm doing it. So is impossible really necessary in the vocabulary of us? I don't believe it is. Nothing is impossible.

[bell]

I thought that flying was impossible when I was little. But then, my Mum told me something called a parachute. Wow. Well, flying isn't impossible because somehow, lots of humans have done it.

So does the word impossible really mean something? It's up to you how you think about it. So what is impossible? Thank you.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Kayla Soukhavong.

[applause]

KAYLA SOUKHAVONG: Impossible. Well, what does this really mean? For me, it means that things aren't doable. But things only aren't doable if we think that it is impossible.

We don't talk much about failure, but that's what successful people go through. Elon Musk got bankrupt when building Tesla and now, he is the richest person on Earth. You will see Teslas driving everywhere.

He is rich because he thought things--

[bell]

--because he thought that things weren't impossible. What you can do is take mistakes as a learning opportunity and then believe that nothing is impossible. Last year, I bombed out of this competition at regionals. But I didn't think it was impossible to get into state. But I believed and here I am today, because nothing is impossible.

[bell]

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Purdey Killips.

[applause]

PURDEY KILLIPS: Nothing's impossible as long as you try. And the person who's always reminded me that all of my life is my grandma. And she has experienced this. Because when she was only 2, she had to become a refugee because Japanese attacked China, her hometown, where everything felt possible. She had to leave.

And now, she's always reminded me to stay strong because nothing's impossible. And she's always sent me presents--

[bell]

--and letters of all these amazing things. And it's not just my grandmother. It's my Mum. She's always loving and supporting me. And my dad, my coach, he's helped me all of this way and reminded me that nothing's possible. And my sister, she is maybe sometimes really annoying and is really hard to escape when I need private time, but she still has always been there for me, no matter how annoying I am to her.

[bell]

So nothing's impossible as long as you try and as long as you have that supporting family that guides you through the way.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back, Remy Dole.

[applause]

REMY DOLE: I know nothing is impossible. I know that when I think I'm doing a really hard question in maths or English or writing and I can't just think of an idea or an answer, I try to think that nothing is impossible. For instance, once the other day when I was watching this video about maths and it was so boring.

[bell]

So then I asked my teacher if I was being really good. And then she said, 'Yes.' And then I thought to myself, 'Well, if I'm being really good, I should get a prize.' So then I asked if I could go outside. So then, she said. 'Yes!' Can you believe it?

So then, instead of going outside, I went to my bag and I got to be careful what I'm saying here because my principal is here and she might--

[bell]

--and I have to be careful what I'm going to say. So I went to my bag and I got my fake poo, put it in her purse and then she pulled out her phone and there was fake poo! And the whole entire class started laughing their heads off! So if you are really getting really serious and you're stuck in a maths question, I think you should just stand up and do a prank or get out of class.

[bell]

[laughter and applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Claire Feeney.

[applause]

CLAIRE FEENEY: Imagine if someone said to you, you have to win at public speaking, or you have to be the best swimmer in the whole school. I don't even know how to do freestyle. I could definitely not do that. And I wouldn't even try because I know that I couldn't accomplish that.

Kids, we don't need to do any impossible things just to be like-- just to feel good. I think that even that I'm trying right now is pretty good.

[bell]

I don't need to be impossible. Like, we need nurses, fire people, cops, truck drivers. They're not impossible people. They don't have to do impossible things to do that. They're just themselves. At least they're giving it a go. You don't need to do impossible things just to feel good about yourself. Thank you.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Olivia Wright.

[applause]

OLIVIA WRIGHT: [vocalising]

That is a theme track from 'Mission Impossible', which I've personally never seen, but I think it's about a really hard mission that people have to solve. I don't know. But to be honest, I think that people think it's impossible that the world will never change. I think it's impossible that the world will like--

[bell]

--people think that it's impossible that the world will just stay-- the world will stay the same forever. But that's not true, because it's living proof on our feet that the world is slowly being destroyed by all of us because of pollution, because our ice caps are melting right in front of our eyes. But there are things we can do that can help this, like recycling our stuff and reducing the things we play with.

[bell]

Well, we think it is possible for the world to change, but it is also possible that we can help it.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Lydia Roberts.

[applause]

LYDIA ROBERTS: Impossible. What is impossible? Absolutely nothing. Nothing can be truly impossible. You might think it might be impossible. Last night, I thought it was impossible to get to sleep.

Sometimes people think falling in love is impossible, but it's not. I once read in a book that somebody thought that--

[bell]

--humans were incapable of change, but that's not impossible. And it's not just physical. Impossible doesn't have to be physical. Impossible could be in a dream. Nothing is impossible in dreams, is it?

Dreams can come true sometimes. Sometimes--

[bell]

--but with a lovely-- but it's an impossible world out there. Impossible dreams, impossible people and it might just be real.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: Please welcome back Isla Pilgrim.

[applause]

ISLA PILGRIM: I love looking at the calendar up in the clouds. I imagine all sorts of creatures, but my Mum always tells me to get my head out of the clouds. But what is wrong with that?

And it's impossible to get to so many activities at once. Kids need freedom and time to be kids. They're busy all the time and they have lots on their schedule-- homework, swimming lessons, soccer, tutoring, ballet. And if they're at home, they'd have their devices in front of them.

This is impossible.

[bell]

This is impossible-- this is impossible for kids to not be stressed and exhausted. Kids need family time. And we need to improve our mental health. We need to not be constantly entertained by adults and parents need to limit the activities to one or 2 a week.

Kids need to go outside and explore our streets and backyards. It is impossible that we can do so many things at once. And we need to look up at the clouds knowing what we see there is developing us more than any activity on our schedule will.

[bell]

Because kids who use their imagination grow into problem solvers. Kids need to have time and be creative. So let's make this impossible to be possible. So let's limit the activities and let's let our kids go outside and explore.

[applause]

HUDSON DOUGLAS: That concludes the impromptu speeches. A representative of the adjudication panel will now announce the winner of the 2023 Years 3 and 4 state final.

[applause]

NEVA MIKULIC: Hi, everybody. My name is Neva Mikulic. I'm an adjudicator with the Arts Unit. And I'm here today to explain the decision that the panel came to to announce our winner and also to provide some general feedback to all of our speakers today.

I want to begin, though, by congratulating each and every one of our speakers on what the panel agreed was a fantastic final. We thought we saw some beautiful speeches, not just in terms of the content that students were dealing with, which we thought was very thoughtful and sophisticated, but also some very engaging speakers that had a lot of personality and that were very interesting to listen to and to reflect on their speeches. So a massive, I think, round of applause to each and every one of our speakers.

[applause]

I think it's a very impressive achievement to make it this far and to do so at such a young age. OK, 3 things from me then are, firstly, on general feedback and what the panel would like our speakers to take away from today into future finals. The first piece of feedback we have is that we thought that in impromptu, we would encourage all speakers to focus on one particular issue that they want to unpack. We think that there are lots of things that come to mind when we think of the impromptu topic, which was a little bit challenging.

And we would have liked our speakers to just pick one of those things and really unpack them in depth. And what that will allow you to do is it'll mean that your speech is a little bit more fleshed out and has a little bit more of your own personal thoughts. And it'll also make it stand out against other speeches that are talking about the same topic because you will have one particular unique focus.

Our second piece of feedback is we think it's important to always end our speeches with a clear message that we want our audience to take away. We don't just want our audience to listen to and enjoy our speeches. We also want them to have something to think about afterwards that they can take into their own lives that might change the ways in which they think about a particular issue or change the way that they act. So having that clear take-home message at the end we think is really powerful.

OK, with that out of the way, what did we think were kind of the best and strongest features of speeches that we saw? We really liked the speeches that were able to balance personal stories and anecdotes with unpacking real-world issues in a lot of depth. We liked speeches that really took us on a journey, so really unpacked an issue and took us to a conclusion. Journeys have destinations, so we really liked speeches that left us with a clear message and a unique way of thinking about an issue.

And finally, we liked speeches that had something unique that they wanted to talk about and something personal to them about the issue that really connected them and made us care a lot about our speeches. OK then, on to the hardest part, which is deciding the winner. And the adjudication panel does want to emphasise that we think our contestants today made this very close to impossible. They were exceptionally strong and competitive and we hope to see them all in future finals.

Our winner today is someone who we thought had a really clever and very thoughtful prepared speech. It had a beautiful cyclical structure. So it started with engaging us in an issue in a very personal and relatable way and it really made us care about why that social issue was so important. It was also a speech that we thought was solutions-based. So it talked about the things we might do to address it and why those things might be really important and impactful.

It was also someone who gave us an impromptu speech that did just what I encouraged everyone to do in feedback, which was to focus on one particular way of looking at the topic. So it moved beyond listing different ideas and really taught us about a real-life problem, in particular, a kid problem that everyone could kind of relate to and that was interesting and provided us with a clear solution and a very clear link to the topic. So with that said, in what was a very kind of competitive final, congratulations to our winner, Isla Pilgrim.

[applause]

TONY DAVEY: Here's your bag.

ISLA PILGRIM: Thank you.

SYLVIA CORISH: It's very heavy.

[applause]

NEVA MIKULIC: Congratulations to Isla and to all of our speakers. If any of the speakers would like individual feedback, the adjudicators will be outside at lunchtime and we're more than happy to answer any questions.

TONY DAVEY: Massive thanks to our adjudication panel, also to chairperson and timekeeper. Congratulations to Isla, but, of course, to all other 9 speakers, do do what Neva said. Go find an adjudicator and ask how to keep getting even better somehow. Who knows? And with that, I would like to close the 2023 Years 3 and 4 Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking State Final. Thanks for being with us, guys.

[applause]