Tasmanian Youth Parliament

The Tasmanian Youth Parliament (YP) has been held annually for more than 20 years, drawing together  politically minded young Tasmanians. The program aims to promote and foster an interest in the Tasmanian parliamentary system and provides an opportunity for young people in grades 11 and 12 (and in some circumstances interested grade 10s) to voice their opinions and concerns on issues important to youth.


The objectives of YP are:

   1. To provide the youth of Tasmania with a forum for expressing their ideas, concerns and expectations with regard to the governing of the state.
   2. To develop an interest in, and to educate young people about, their parliamentary system in an enjoyable and innovative manner.
   3. To provide the Tasmanian Government with a document expressing the considered view of young people on a range of issues which they feel are important to the youth of the state.
   4. To develop confidence in the individual participants and to encourage teamwork.
   5. To promote a broader awareness amongst young people of community issues and the process of government through which those issues can be addressed.


YP aims not only to give young Tasmanians a voice, but also an opportunity to enjoy themselves with more than 60 other like-minded people of their own age. Youth Parliamentarians form groups of four (usually in school groups) and formulate bills for debate in the House of Assembly Chambers in Parliament House in Hobart.


During camp, the participants debate, amend and (in many cases) pass bills. Successful Youth Acts are then presented to the Premier of Tasmania to be forwarded to appropriate government departments. The first Tasmanian Youth Parliament was held in 1988, since then many young Tasmanians have had the opportunity to express their views and opinions on issues of state importance.


The week long camp, is a central element of the YP experience. It is used to train participants on Parliamentary procedure, to hold bill chats and amendment meetings so that participants have a genuine understanding of what they are to debate, to scrutinise and improve the bills that are presented and make them appropriate for debate in Parliament, and finally to work on the extremely important Youth Motion, a document expressing the concerns of the Youth Parliament regarding issues of both state and federal jurisdiction. Above all, it is an opportunity to form friendships that last a lifetime.


If you need more information about the Tasmanian Youth Parliament, feel free to look at the Frequently Asked Questions or Contact the Taskforce.