Community Game Changer In Youth Politics

A Mackay year 12 student is well on his way to creating change in our community, getting involved in Queensland Youth Parliament as the Youth Member for Whitsunday.

Sebastian Padget is School Captain at Mackay Northern Beaches State High School and has added Youth Parliament to his repertoire of leadership experience, saying that serving as School Captain in primary school started his interest in politics.

“Even in primary school, seeing that there is the ability to create change, just sparked my interest,” Sebastian said.

“As the years have gone on I’ve got more interested in the way it runs, in the way we create change, and then this opportunity’s come up so I’ve taken it.”

He says he found balancing study, school captaincy, and Youth Parliament difficult but it has taught him a lot.

“I was thinking ‘no, this is the path I want to go down, we have to balance it,’ so that’s been really good to learn that and to learn how to do it effectively,” he said.

Sebastian travelled to Brisbane with his mentor and Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm for the Queensland Youth Parliament launch weekend in early April.

Throughout the weekend, Sebastian and the other 92 Youth Members received media advice, learnt how to write bills, and learnt how to be effective leaders in their respective communities.

Sebastian says it was a great opportunity to network with other Youth Members and discuss the issues facing each of their areas.

“It was really cool to see our world views, how they’re a bit different, and the issues that we find are important,” he said.

Sebastian says Amanda’s mentorship, advice, and experience have been invaluable.

“She’s been absolutely incredible,” he said.

“We’ve had some really good conversations.”

One local issue that Sebastian is passionate about is Mackay Bucasia Road.

“Being in the Northern Beaches, we’re the major growth area of Mackay,” he said.

“We have a bit of a transport issue where we have one road linking Mackay to the Northern Beaches and if there was to be a flood, fire, cyclone, there’s going to be trouble in this area.

“Even with opportunities within Youth Parliament, I’ve been able to discuss the issue and raise it with council, discuss it with Amanda Camm, and we’ve been able to have some really cool discussions about how we create change even on a local level.”

Sebastian finishes year 12 this year and is looking to study Business and Law in Townsville next year and hopes to get as involved in the Mackay community as he possibly can.

“I’d love to serve in parliament, but I really want to get experience in the community before I look at something like that and I do believe that having a business and law degree would be quite a good combination,” he said.

“I’m really keen to see how local Mackay runs, how the organisations in local Mackay work, and how they push Mackay forward.”

Youth Member for Whitsunday Sebastian Padget is passionate about Mackay. Photo: Sam Gillespie

Sebastian with Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm at Queensland Youth Parliament Launch Week in Brisbane. Photo: supplied

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