Regrounding the future: Interning at the MRC
Hollie Heywood had lived a varied working life for more than two decades before she decided to undertake university studies as a mature age student.
in this piece, hollie outlines why she chose to intern at the MRC - and how a simple experiment in a busy shopping strip affirmed the importance of having open and honest political conversations.
An internship at the Menzies Research Centre (MRC) was an obvious choice for me. I believe in liberal values and want to see them re-articulated as a clear path forward for Australia.
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle. As of this month, I am entering my second semester as a mature-age student. I turned 40 in July last year and began university the following week. I had never been to university, but I have accumulated my fair share of certificates and diplomas through TAFE and private institutions — everything from fashion and farming to forklift driving, teaching, truck driving (up to B-doubles and road trains), retail and warehouse management.
I have lived a varied working life. I have broad interests and, more importantly, a can-do attitude. So why not have a go at improving the country through politics?
I have not always been politically engaged, but I was raised with a simple principle: treat others how you would like to be treated. My views align with “live and let live”, individual responsibility over collectivism, and, politically speaking, small government, a fair-go society and a strong moral compass. I believe it will take courage, economic understanding and clear communication to push back against increasing centralised control — and I am keen to learn how I can contribute.
As an intern, I have been tasked with researching departments and agencies within the public service, comparing increased staffing levels with performance outcomes under the Albanese Government. The aim is to assess whether more public servants are delivering better results for taxpayers.
What I have found so far is telling. Services Australia, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the ACCC all show increases in staffing alongside decreases in productivity. These findings will feed into future MRC work and I look forward to seeing how they are used.
I travelled interstate from WA to the east coast for my MRC internship. While in Sydney, I decided to conduct a small personal experiment. I made a sign which read: “Advance Australia where? Tell me your thoughts on the future of Australia” and took it to Circular Quay on Australia Day.
The idea came to me the day before, while listening to my uncle and father talk on the phone. Both were born and raised in Sale, in Gippsland, Victoria, and are proud Australians. I wondered whether their views were shared more broadly. Instead of speculating, I thought: why not just ask people?
I thought the wording “Advance Australia where” was great when I heard Graham “Hoody” Hood say it on the Club Grubbery podcast, which he hosts with John Larter. I first came across them when they spoke out against what they saw as government overreach during the COVID vaccine mandate period.
I was surprised when I was taken aside by a security guard at a checkpoint and told the sign was not welcome because it “encouraged political conversation that may cause offence” and that Australia Day was “a day for celebration.” Undeterred, I returned on Sunday 1 February to Pitt Street Mall in Sydney’s CBD. Over two hours, I spoke with ten people.
Some called out their views in passing. Others stopped for long, thoughtful conversations. A few waited patiently at a distance until it was their turn to speak. I heard from city residents who wanted regional Australians to be more welcoming of migrants, and from regional Australians who wanted the country to resemble the Australia they grew up in. An Iranian man wanted more cultural events, music, markets, local produce and broader media coverage without bias. Others worried Australia was becoming too much like the United States, with fears of ICE-style deportation forces. One family spoke about wanting economic reform so their teenagers could one day afford a home, without unfairly harming those already invested. A Jewish man told me he believed Pauline Hanson was the best hope for a safe, fair-go Australia for his daughter.
What struck me most was not agreement, but engagement. People want to be heard.
Standing in a busy mall with a handwritten sign reminded me why I am studying, interning and engaging at this stage of my life. Australia’s future should not be decided behind closed doors or reduced to slogans. It should be shaped through open conversation — one question at a time.
I am deeply grateful that my three-week internship at the Menzies Research Centre has been made possible through a scholarship from the Mannkal Economic Education Foundation.