Terms and Conditions

The Department of the House of Representatives proudly presents the My First Speech Competition, an initiative designed to provide secondary school students across Australia with a platform to share their unique experiences, perspectives and passions.

These terms and conditions are designed to ensure the fair and transparent operation of the My First Speech Competition.

By participating in this competition, entrants agree to comply with these terms and conditions.

1. The purpose of the My First Speech competition is to raise awareness of the federal Parliament among young Australians by encouraging students to voice their opinions as if they were making their first speech in the House of Representatives.

2. The My First Speech competition opens 9am AEST Monday 4^th August 2025 and closes 5pm AEST Monday 15^th September 2025.

3. By entering the My First Speech competition the entrant agrees that copyright of their entry becomes the property of the Parliament and that the Parliament reserves the right to use, reproduce, adapt and exhibit the speech at Australian Parliament House and online on the Parliament’s websites and social media accounts.

4. Any person under 18 years old must have a parent or guardian’s permission.

5. There is no cost to submit an entry into the My First Speech competition.

6. Each entry must be submitted in digital format via the online entry portal on the My First Speech website.

7. By entering the My First Speech competition the participant warrants that its entry is original work.

8. Entries must not include any material offensive to any specific racial, gender, religious, sexual or other group or contain swearing, slurs or sexual suggestions. Any entries deemed inappropriate will not be eligible for the competition.

9. Entries should be appropriate to a broad audience and demonstrate respect and consideration of others.

10. Entries must not contain any material (music, logos, text etc) that infringes the copyright of any third party.

11. The competition will be judged by a panel of professionals, which will include Members of Parliament and parliamentary officers.

12. The decisions of the judges are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

13. In the event that the entrant is awarded a prize, the person named as the entrant on the entry form will be the sole recipient of said prize. Prizes are not negotiable or transferable.

14. The entry must be no longer than 300 words, entries over 300 words will be disqualified.

15. Winning entrants will be notified by phone. Winners will also be published on the Parliament’s websites and social media accounts.

16. Entrants that breach the Terms and Conditions are subject to disqualification.

17. Entries must be submitted online via the APH website.

18. Entrants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a signed parent/guardian consent form if the participant is under 18. This will be incorporated into the entry form.

19. Late or incomplete entries will not be considered.

20. The judging process will be conducted in two stages, Shortlisting and Final judging to select the winners from each year group.

21. The decisions of the judges are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

22. Prizes will include; winners and guardian will be invited to Canberra, winners and guardian will attend a formal presentation, receive certificates, and have the opportunity to present their entry at Parliament House. Winners will also participate in a program at Parliament House, including a tour and attendance to Question Time. A morning tea will be held with the Speaker of the House and Parliament members. The winning entries from each year group will be showcased on the My First Speech website and the Department of the House of Representatives social media channels.

23. The department will collect personal information (name, contact details, age, school, etc.) for the purpose of administering the competition and promoting the winners. This information will be handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988.

24. Participants under the age of 18 must obtain parental/guardian consent to participate in the competition, and consent for their child’s personal information to be collected and used as outlined in these terms.

25. By entering the competition, participants agree to have their names, likeness and entries used in promotional materials for the competition, including but not limited to the My First Speech website, social media, and press releases.

26. The department is not responsible for any technical issues, such as internet connectivity or problems with submissions, that may prevent participation.

27. The department reserves the right to modify or cancel the competition at any time, without prior notice, for any reason.

28. The Department of the House of Representatives is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants. All activities related to the competition will adhere to the child safety policies of the department, including appropriate supervision for the winners’ visit to Canberra.


Contact Information

For any questions or additional information about the competition, please contact us via email:
imo.reps@aph.gov.au