A meeting with Dame Quentin Bryce

What would you do if you were the Governor- General of Australia for a week?

Footscray City College school captain Angela Velasquez’s ideas for the issues she would raise have earned her the opportunity to meet and question retired governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce.

“I want gay marriage to be legalised because adults should be able to be legally bound to the person they love. I want to find a way to make it easier for people under persecution to migrate to Australia and, in so doing, solve the asylum seekers’ dilemma,” she says.

“I would also like to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, I’d make the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for Australia.”

Angela is one of a handful of senior high school girls in Melbourne’s west selected to take part in a Young Women and Leadership Q&A, to be held at Victoria University’s College of Law and Justice as part of a lecture series to honour past and current governors-general.

Former attorney-general Nicola Roxon said the event reflected Ms Bryce’s commitment to improving the lives of young women in Australia.

“Quentin Bryce has broken through many of the barriers for women leaders and brings her unique perspective to this interactive discussion. I’m sure it will be inspirational for young women starting to think about their future place in the world,” Ms Roxon said.

The event will be at VU’s Sir Zelman Cowen Centre at 5pm on Thursday, September 10.