Anti Poverty Week video winners' mission to Canberra

On Thursday 18th March 2010 winners of Mission Australia’s Anti Poverty Week video competition, Gavin Douglas, Revesby-Wirrimbirra Rotary Club member, and Daniel Petsalis, Missionbeat manager, met with Senator Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector.

The video competition was launched for Anti-Poverty Week in October 2009. The idea behind the competition was to organise a fun activity via a 60 second video that raised awareness around the issue of poverty as well as engaged people in what they could do to help.

“Senator Ursula feels very passionate about homeless people and people that work with them. It was an amazing experience to be able to share some of our experience of what we are doing to assist Sydney’s disadvantaged people, as well as some of our Rotary projects” said Daniel.

On their visit to Parliament, Daniel and Gavin also met with their local MP, Daryl Melham. “Daryl was incredibly down to earth, the sort of bloke you wouldn’t mind having a beer with”.

“Revisiting the House of Representatives as an adult is an interesting process to sit through. It is nothing compared to the visit we did when we were in primary school. Being able to see politicians on Question Time get vocal and animated, that seem normally quiet and reserved on the outside was a great surprise,” said Daniel.

“Walking around the parliament with an unaccompanied pass was like having a back stage pass to a concert. Passing Tony Abbott and Kevin Rudd in the corridor and seeing where their offices were located within parliament, was a fantastic opportunity”

View the winning video here:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=48qaqdej3PQ