He said events like Youth Parliament helped close a divide between city politics and country kids.

“We often feel so disconnected from where decisions are made, and there’s a growing apathy towards government, and I would argue there’s a real ‘us and them’ mentality,” he said. 

“This does wonders to try and address that situation, so they see how a parliament works, they see how they can engage in a political process, and hopefully it encourages them to know how to engage [in politics].”

Mr Katter said he considered working with children the best part of his job as a politician. 

“If we can engage them in any way, whether its about politics, health, or any other education, that’s probably the most rewarding part of the job,” Mr Katter said. 

Speaker of Queensland Parliament Peter Wellington agreed and said rural students were aware of issues in their communities. 

“One day we’ll have future leaders who will reflect on when they attended Youth Parliament,” he said.