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Speaker 1: You might have heard of the Northern Territories Youth Roundtable.

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Speaker 1: It's comprised of locals aged between fifteen and twenty five

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Speaker 1: who act as an advisory body on youth matters, providing

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Speaker 1: feedback to the Northern Territory government. And the latest round

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Speaker 1: of participants are being sought. But joining me in the

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Speaker 1: studio to tell us a little bit more about the

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Speaker 1: Youth Roundtable. Well, the Minister for Youth, Lauren Moss, good

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Speaker 1: morning to.

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Speaker 2: You, Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.

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Speaker 1: And also a Roundtable participant Alex Story, Good morning to you, Alex.

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Speaker 3: Good morning, Nicey, nice to be here.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, lovely to have you both in the studio with

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Speaker 1: us this morning. Now, Minister, I might go to you first,

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Speaker 1: what exactly is the Youth Roundtable.

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Speaker 2: So the Youth round Tables, it's in its twenty fifth year,

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Speaker 2: which is pretty amazing. So it's a program that's been

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Speaker 2: in place for really long time to provide advice to

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Speaker 2: government on a whole range of different policy matters. But

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Speaker 2: the intent of it is that we shouldn't be making

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Speaker 2: decisions about things that impact on young people without involving

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Speaker 2: young people. So we have a group of between sixteen

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Speaker 2: and eighteen, young people between fifteen and twenty five, and

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Speaker 2: they provide advice on a whole range of different things,

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Speaker 2: whether it's environment policy, or it might be mental health,

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Speaker 2: it could be education. They provide that advice on a

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Speaker 2: range of things that impact them and it's a fantastic program.

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Speaker 1: And how seriously does the government take that advice that

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Speaker 1: the Youth round Table is providing.

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Speaker 2: I think a really good example of it was the

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Speaker 2: Education Engagement Strategy that was launched last year. The Youth

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Speaker 2: round Table were very, very involved in that particular policy.

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Speaker 2: Twenty five percent of the feedback in that strategy came

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Speaker 2: from young people and the Youth round Table are a

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Speaker 2: big part of that. So we take it really seriously.

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Speaker 2: At the end of the year, in just a couple

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Speaker 2: of months time, in December, the current Youth round Table

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Speaker 2: will have the opportunity to pitch to ministers and to

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Speaker 2: see ease of departments on different issues that they're particularly

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Speaker 2: passionate about. So they get that direct access to ministers

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Speaker 2: and government departments and others throughout the year, but also

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Speaker 2: at the end of the year two to make recommendations.

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Speaker 2: So we take it really seriously. It's such a good opportunity,

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Speaker 2: and not only to provide that input, but I'm sure

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Speaker 2: Alex will talk about this in a moment, but for

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Speaker 2: professional development and leadership development for young people as well.

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Speaker 1: So, Alex, you've been on the Youth round Table for

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Speaker 1: this year, haven't you.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been quite a while now, hasn't it. I'm

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Speaker 3: getting old.

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Speaker 1: How have you enjoyed it? How have you found how

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Speaker 1: have you found the experience?

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Speaker 3: It's honestly just been a lot of fun.

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Speaker 4: They coach and train us to sort of get better

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Speaker 4: at public speaking and being able to sort of liaisons

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Speaker 4: with the ministers and cabinet.

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Speaker 3: It's just been an amazing experience. Really.

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Speaker 1: How many of you are on the Youth round Table?

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Speaker 3: Oh, good for you. I wish I counted. I'm eighteen

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Speaker 3: of you about eighteen? About eighteen, I believe. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: And what's it like sort of all getting together and

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Speaker 1: determining what, you know, what issues are, kind of the

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Speaker 1: ones that you do need to speak to the government

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Speaker 1: about or the ones that you feel quite passionately about.

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Speaker 4: Well, you would have thought if there's a bunch of

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Speaker 4: sort of young passionate people getting together in a very

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Speaker 4: small room that we would all sort of start, you know,

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Speaker 4: bickering and fighting, but I've honestly seen it. It's just

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Speaker 4: very very well directed by the Office of Youth Fairs

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Speaker 4: that runs. It just sort of flows and everyone's very

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Speaker 4: supportive with the issues that are brought because a lot

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Speaker 4: of the issues are affecting multiple different youths.

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Speaker 1: And it's like I always think it's quite interesting for

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Speaker 1: us as people that are getting a little bit older.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I don't like to tell myself getting older.

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Speaker 1: You know, we quite often want to have opinions on

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Speaker 1: different things that do relate to younger people. And that's

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Speaker 1: all fine and good, But I always think if you

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Speaker 1: want to find out how younger people are thinking.

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Speaker 3: Well, you've got to actually speak to them.

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Speaker 1: And that's where I think that this roundtable's really important

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Speaker 1: in terms of them being able to, you know, to

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Speaker 1: lobby the government or speak to the government about the

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Speaker 1: concerns that you guys have got.

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Speaker 3: What have been some of the.

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Speaker 1: Major sort of issues that you plan either planning to

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Speaker 1: take forward to the government or that you all have

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Speaker 1: as a result of those meetings.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and like you said, a big issue with the

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Speaker 4: sort of the sort of that youth faces that although

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Speaker 4: we have quite a few, we have very low amounts

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Speaker 4: of power at least to sort of willed against government typically.

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Speaker 4: So the issues that we've sort of been bringing up is,

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Speaker 4: honestly it's focusing around largely issues of youth crime, sort

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Speaker 4: of focusing very heavily on the environment we've seen, and

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Speaker 4: also a very sort of sizable group in the roundtable

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Speaker 4: focusing on education because we have a teacher in there

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Speaker 4: as well.

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Speaker 1: Awesome, And have you found that what you have spoken

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Speaker 1: then to the government about has there been sort of

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Speaker 1: have those concerns or you know, has there been some

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Speaker 1: movement I suppose, or have you felt as though it's

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Speaker 1: been listened to.

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Speaker 4: I feel like we've specifically with speaking to ministers, it's

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Speaker 4: a matter of sort of gaining knowledge as to why

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Speaker 4: issues are occurring and bringing it to their attention.

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Speaker 3: And so for us, a lot of environmental.

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Speaker 4: Issues, we've found out certain policies that we actually weren't

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Speaker 4: initially aware of leaning towards certain things.

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Speaker 3: For example, we.

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Speaker 4: Had issues of various sort of people being a bit

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Speaker 4: upset at the sort of growth of weeds in various

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Speaker 4: regions or cotton farms being funded, and it just comes

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Speaker 4: down to allowing us to understand why issues are occurring

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Speaker 4: and then allowing us to sort of partition ministers to

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Speaker 4: move forward and we'll find out about you know, sort

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Speaker 4: of our traction with ministers later on in the year

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Speaker 4: when we'll be speaking before Parliament.

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Speaker 1: It's an incredible opportunity for you guys like is you know,

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Speaker 1: to have access then two ministers and you know, executives

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Speaker 1: from within the departments and be able to raise those

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Speaker 1: different concerns or to just speak about issues that are

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Speaker 1: impacting youth as well. It's an incredible opportunity. How have

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Speaker 1: you found it over the last you know, throughout the year,

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Speaker 1: has it been something that you've really enjoyed?

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Speaker 4: It has honestly been just one of the most amazing

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Speaker 4: experiences I've had in the territory. I've been a local

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Speaker 4: my entire life, and it's just you really really sort

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Speaker 4: of get invested in the idea when you're a young

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Speaker 4: person that it's you're just you do not have any

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Speaker 4: sort of power representation well in our democracy. And just

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Speaker 4: the fact that I've been involved in a process like

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Speaker 4: this and so involved with so many different ministers, it's

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Speaker 4: honestly just changed my outlook of how at least our

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Speaker 4: system in the territory functions.

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Speaker 3: And it's also been a lot of fun.

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Speaker 1: Now I know that you're on the lookout now for

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Speaker 1: the Youth round Table for next year. How many young

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Speaker 1: Territorians or you know, youthful Territorians are you looking for.

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Speaker 2: So it usually sits at around sixteen members. Ye, And

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Speaker 2: so the applications will close on the sixth of November,

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Speaker 2: So there's about a week or a roundabouts a week

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Speaker 2: to get your applications in. But we're looking for young

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Speaker 2: people from right across the Northern Territory. We're looking for

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Speaker 2: diverse young people. And I've been on it myself. I

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Speaker 2: was the chair in twenty ten and I can say

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Speaker 2: I didn't know really that it was an opportunity for

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Speaker 2: young people like me at that time. I was quite reserved,

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Speaker 2: and you know, you can think that those opportunities are

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Speaker 2: for people who are already out there debating issues and

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Speaker 2: already quite out there. I would really encourage all young people,

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Speaker 2: if you are passionate about your community, if there are

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Speaker 2: things that you can see that you want to change,

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Speaker 2: put your application in because the Youth Round Table will

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Speaker 2: help you do the rest. In terms of the development

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Speaker 2: of yourself and your skills.

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Speaker 3: You just can't stress that enough. It's not the.

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Speaker 4: Sort of exemplary sort of A plus students that is

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Speaker 4: like solely elected to the Roundtawn. We have some ap plus.

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Speaker 4: You know, I'm good on them, but I'm not. It's

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Speaker 4: just not what you would expect. And because at the

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Speaker 4: end of the day, it's a representative body, they're trying

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Speaker 4: to be representatives. If you are again, if you're passionate

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Speaker 4: about your region, then put your name up.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. I think it's a great thing to do. And

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Speaker 1: I think it's wonderful, you know, for young Territorians to

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Speaker 1: be able to be involved in Lauren. Where can people

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Speaker 1: find some more info If they are listening this morning

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Speaker 1: and they're thinking, do you know what, I know the

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Speaker 1: perfect person or I am the perfect person to be involved.

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Speaker 2: So if they look up the youth if your Google

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Speaker 2: Youth Anti Government, you'll come up with the Youth Ante

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Speaker 2: page and you'll be able to stick your application in

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Speaker 2: through there. And I think really important as well. We're

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Speaker 2: also looking for Anti Youth Week ambassadors, so they are

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Speaker 2: that's a separate program but also connected and do a

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Speaker 2: lot with the Youth round Table. They'll be promoting everything

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Speaker 2: that's on offer around Youth Week in April next year

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Speaker 2: and have that opportunity to be part of the planning

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Speaker 2: around that as well. So we have fabulous ambassadors this

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Speaker 2: year as well. So there's plenty of opportunities for young people.

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Speaker 2: Just do that little google on our very user friendly,

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Speaker 2: fantastic anti government website and the Youth and I'll be

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Speaker 2: certainly promoting that through my platforms and channels as well,

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Speaker 2: but there's also a Territory, Families, Communities and Local Government

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Speaker 2: Facebook page where we'll be pushing that out as well.

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Speaker 1: Alex, before I let you go, I mean, what would

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Speaker 1: you say to other young people that are thinking about

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Speaker 1: joining the Youth round Table.

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Speaker 4: I would say, and I understand the general view of

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Speaker 4: young people, right, you know, to a proportion, it's how

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Speaker 4: does this actually benefit me? And I mean that in

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Speaker 4: the best way. It's because you know, you're young, You've

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Speaker 4: just got out of school, you're still in school, and

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Speaker 4: it's a complete it is it's a bit of a

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Speaker 4: time sink. And that's not necessarily wrong for young people.

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Speaker 4: I've found that it is just the opportunities that present

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Speaker 4: themselves by being a part of a representative body, being

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Speaker 4: able to meet amazing people, and we meet various organizations

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Speaker 4: that are committed and want to know.

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Speaker 3: The opinions of youth.

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Speaker 4: It's honestly a spectacular experience and currently sort of one

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Speaker 4: of the best that I have in the territory.

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Speaker 3: Oh good stuff.

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Speaker 1: Well, wonderful to speak to you both this morning, Minister

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Speaker 1: Lauren Moss and Alex Story. Thank you both so much

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Speaker 1: for your time.

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Speaker 3: Nice thank you here