Students from thirteen Manly Electorate travelled to Australia’s oldest Parliament to speak on topics including, ‘which planet would you like to visit and why?’, ‘what should the school of the future be like?’, and ‘what are the characteristics that make a person a hero?
“The Bear Pit is the colloquial term used for the NSW Legislative Assembly Chamber, reflecting the verbal mayhem that often unfolds during question time,” said Mr Griffin.
“One of the highlights of this job is getting the opportunity to host the best speakers from Manly Electorate Public and Catholic Schools in NSW Parliament and seeing them pit their skills against each other in the very same forum that passes our NSW laws.
“This competition provides students with a unique and memorable experience and aims to promote their public speaking skills and instil greater confidence in their ability to speak in front of an audience.”
This year’s team of judges included the Hon Ben Franklin MLC, President of the Legislative Council, Vicki Treble, Pauline Gilchrist and Louise Roberts.
After the speeches, parents and students enjoyed a Q&A session where they got the opportunity to throw their own questions to Mr Griffin, before hearing a lively address from Mr Franklin on the importance of public speaking.
“The judges had their work cut out for them this year, and all the students who competed should be immensely proud of their efforts,” said Mr Griffin.
“Congratulations to Elise Sciascia from Manly Vale Public School who took the top prize in the Stage 2 category, and Leo Hindes from Manly West Public School who was crowned the Stage 3 winner after delivering a powerful speech on the future of education in NSW.
“Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the teachers and parents from each school, along with the judges and the Parliament of NSW for making this event possible and for giving the participating students a taste of public speaking in Australia’s oldest Parliament,” said Mr Griffin.
Last modified: September 24, 2025
