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The Richard Baker Senate Essay Prize


Congratulations to Emma Greenland (NSW), Bradley Gill (NT), Edmund Handby (ACT),
Madeline Paech (SA) and Jessica Tucker (WA)
for their winning essays in the Richard Baker Senate Essay Prize 2009.

The Prize will be offered again next year – look for the new topic in early 2010.

Download flyer: (PDF 311KB)

The Richard Baker Senate Essay Prize, named in honour of the first President of the Australian Senate, is a new prize to be awarded annually to the best student essay in each state and territory on a topic that promotes knowledge of the Australian Senate and its work.

The topic for 2009: Senate committees provide a means for citizens to be directly involved in law making and policy review.

Do you agree with this statement?
Discuss with particular reference to one or more Senate committee inquiries.

Eligibility & criteria

The prize is open to all Australian secondary school students currently enrolled in years 10 to 12.

Your essay should address the topic and be 500–750 words in length (exclusive of end notes), in English and fully documented.

   You may choose to present your response to the topic entirely in written essay form or you may like to use multimedia, audio, video or photographic material as part of your response with a minimum 500 word component.  

The essays should be:

  • typed
  • submitted in hard copy (three copies) and
  • submitted in electronic form, either by email or on a disc.

The entries will not be returned.
 
The judging process
The President of the Senate will select the winners assisted by a judging panel consisting of three senators, representing Government, Opposition and minor parties. The President will announce the winners no later than 31 October 2009.
   
The Prize
A prize of $500 per state/territory will be awarded to each winning essay ($250 to the student and $250 for the student's school library).
Winning essays will be published on the Senate and the Parliamentary Education Office's websites.		 All students whose essays meet the criteria of the prize will receive a certificate of participation.
   

How to apply

Attach a cover sheet to your essay indicating:

  • Your full name and year level
  • Your contact details (postal and email address and telephone number)
  • Name of your school (or if you are home-schooled the name of your local library)

Your essay must be received by the close of business - Monday 31 August 2009.

Please send to:

Richard Baker Senate Essay Prize
Research Section, Procedure Office
Department of the Senate
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Email: bakerprize@aph.gov.au

Entries closed - 31 August, 2009
 

Richard Chaffey Baker

First President of the Senate(9 May 1901 to 31 December 1906)*

Photo: Sir Richard Baker

Sir Richard Baker had a profound influence on the creation, founding and early development of the Senate, both as a framer of the Constitution, and as the presiding officer of the Senate during its earliest formative years.

At the federal Convention of 1897/8, where he was a powerful advocate of a new constitutional order for the Australian Commonwealth, he argued for a Senate that was a 'strong, a powerful, and a living house ...' which would be an equal partner with the House of Representatives in the consideration and review of legislation.

In the first federal parliament, as President of the Senate, Baker continued to assert the power and independence of the Senate. This tradition of independence and originality has been a model for subsequent presidents.

Useful resources about the Senate

www.aph.gov.au/senate

Information about the role of the Senate can be found at:

Senate briefs on a number of topics and issues:

Senate Brief: No 4 Senate Committees

Senate Brief: No 5 Consideration of Estimates by the Senate's Legislation Committees

Senate Brief: No 8 The Senate and Legislation

Odgers' Australian Senate Practice

*Richard Baker photo courtesy National Library of Australia REF 3582887

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