Participants were up to 25 years old and were selected from a group of more than 180 people for their leadership skills and interest in the parliamentary process. Each state and territory had six representatives; Torres Strait Islands had two representatives at the parliamentary event. They spent one week in Canberra and learned about the process of making laws, public speaking and fielding inquiries from the media. The State News Service reported that "The Bills passed by the Youth Parliament will then be presented to Government representatives for consideration in developing policies."