Paris Emsis, Carla Ayoub and I decided to attend Q&A in order to broaden our knowledge of current events and controversial topics that are the constant objects of media focus. We felt that today’s political climate is greatly lacking in both a logical voice of reason and also compassion for the truly disadvantaged people in our world. Because of this, we chose to ensure that we were knowledgeable on the issues at hand, having developed our own opinions, rather than our opinions being coloured by greater political and diplomatic forces, as has unfortunately often been the case in recent times. It was also useful for our schoolwork, in which an understanding of topical issues consistently proves itself beneficial. We were interested in hearing from the experts on the panel, in particular internationally renowned human rights lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson, whose wit and breadth of experience allowed us to enjoy the learning experience.
The death of Gough Whitlam, Canadian terror, the Ebola fight and Australia’s decision to take part in the fight against ISIS were some of the major issues discussed. We were particularly concerned with Australia’s hesitation to send volunteer medical teams to West Africa to assist in combatting the Ebola virus, and the sharp contrast with their willingness to crack down on foreign fighters. Thus, when the opportunity arose to question Assistant Defence Minister Stuart Robert about this I took the opportunity to ask spontaneously and was pleased with a positive reception from the audience as well as the online debate that ensued, allowing people to express their opinions and learn more about the issue.
Natasha Novo
Here is a link to the program:
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/qanda/FA1307H039S00#playing
