FAQs

Youth Parliament is an annual event held during the Western Australian winter school holidays in June and July, which also aligns with the mid-year break for universities.

The Y WA runs Youth Parliament with support from the WA Department of Communities. The program is organised and delivered by the Youth Parliament Taskforce, a dedicated group of youth volunteers.

The residential camp runs for six days, preceded by several months of preparation for participants.

Participants must:

• Be aged 15 to 25
• Live in Western Australia
• Be passionate about issues and representing their community

The program fee is $510. We understand this is a significant amount and we’re here to help make it manageable. Our Sponsorship Officer can assist with finding sponsorship opportunities through your local MP, school, university, or community organisations. If full sponsorship isn’t possible, flexible options like a payment plan are available to ensure everyone has the chance to participate.

Each year’s Youth Parliament will cover many areas of interest to young people in our state, with the Youth members deciding which topics will be debated. Committees select an issue and draft a piece of legislation on that topic, covering matters from any state government portfolio.

Past bills have addressed a wide range of issues, including:

• Daylight saving
• Sexual health
• Housing affordability
• Environmental responsibility
• Water provision
• Education
• Juvenile justice
• Entertainment precinct curfews
• Youth-based decision-making
• Learner driver laws

At the end of the program, all bills are presented to Members of Government and Opposition for review and consideration. They are also shared with the Governor of Western Australia, the Lord Mayor of Perth, and the WA Department of Communities.

Don’t worry! All necessary training will be provided before and during the program. You don’t need a degree in politics; just passion for youth issues and a willingness to share your views.

Absolutely! Email us at youth.parliament@ymcawa.org.au to organise entry into Parliament House. The Youth Parliament schedule will be available on our website program page closer to the date.

To join Youth Parliament, you must be aged 15 to 25.

Applications for the 2026 program are currently closed. In the meantime, we encourage you to complete our expression of interest form to be notified when applications open for the next program.