Monday 4 November saw a group of 15 Year 11 Economics students attend the picturesque Kincoppal-Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart for a Q & A style event on ‘The Future of Australia’. Newington was represented on the discussion panel by Senior Deputy Prefect Thomas Van Der Velde (11/JN) as he fielded questions along with HSBC’s Chief Economist Paul Bloxham, The Australian‘s journalist Adam Creighton, prominent author and journalist Caroline Overingham, and other students from The Scots College and Kincoppal.

Themes discussed included ‘what to do with our ailing automotive industry’; ‘how the fate of the US economy will impact on Australia’, ‘the composition and direction of Australia’s trade’ and ‘what the current generation will do to change Australia’s future’. Thomas gave a well-informed and economically driven argument for why we should move away from manufacturing cars in Australia that activated some buzz on the day’s Twitter feed.

Well done to Thomas and thanks to all in attendance. It was a worthwhile and thought-provoking night.

Mr Andrew Light
Economics Teacher