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A daughter of Federation
By Barry Rollings

Edition 4906, April 19, 2007
 
EYE-OPENER: CPL Scholes found live Question Time unlike its television image, and sitting in on a Standing Committee a real-eye-opener.
Photo by LACW Kim Eager
 
LONG before her landmark participation in the ADF Parliamentary Exchange Program in late March, CPL Fiona Scholes could lay fair claim to being a true “daughter of Federation”.

CPL Scholes, the first Air Force NCO to take part in the exchange, hails from Tenterfield in north-western NSW, where she first learnt of the achievements of the “Father of Federation”, Sir Henry Parkes.

It was in Tenterfield in 1889 that Sir Henry called for “a great national government for all Australians”. Sir Henry’s thoughts spawned the concept of the Commonwealth of Australia.

As one of 12 Service personnel in this year’s program, CPL Scholes, of RAAF Base Williamtown, discovered more about the Commonwealth in a first-hand look at the inner machinations of the Australian Parliament, where she was the guest of Ms Catherine King, Member for the Victorian seat of Ballarat.

“I applied for the program as its appeal for me was the first-hand experience I would gain,” CPL Scholes said. “Being able to see the machinations of the place, the programs, the processes and its people appealed to me very much and intrigued me; it was something I could not turn away from.

“This program is absolutely brilliant. Through our involvement, we have seen and learnt the processes - not just the Parliamentary processes, but also the people who run Parliament and their lives.

“It takes an amazing amount of passion, skill and commitment to be in this building and keep the wheels turning; it is very inspirational. It has been an eye-opener in realising I did not know as much about Parliament as I thought I did.”