T H E B AROSSA MAG | 33
>> Ministerial Advisor Courtney Nourse (right), with
the Honourable Stephen Knoll MP in State Parliament.
“It’s not like any other job –
no-one really tells you how to be
in this position,” Courtney says.
“It’s really up to you and your
minister how you make it.” It’s the adrenaline, getting those
answers really quickly and getting
them to the Minister, quite often
as he is just getting into Question
Time,” Courtney says.
When Parliament is sitting, the
days can stretch into nights, as
Courtney prepares for Opposition
curveballs that are characteristic
of Question Time. “There’s no such thing as
an average day – every day
is incredibly different.”
“You have deadlines where you
need to put information together
for a ministerial statement.
It’s a job Courtney has literally
been preparing for her whole life.
Her upbringing in the country in a
socially-active family – her father
is the President of the Saddleworth
DESIGN to suit your lifestyle
E
peak body committee – shaped
her course.
“A broad mind – I think that’s
what happens when you grow up
in a regional area,” says Courtney.
“You see the community
involvement and it instils those
values in you – you feel like you
want to make an impact.
“I was 18 when I joined the Party –
when I looked at their beliefs and
what they stand for, I realised
that’s what I stood for too.”
Going on to study a Bachelor
of Government and Public
Management, Courtney was
determined not only to take every
opportunity but to create her own.
She volunteered at Liberal Party
headquarters, hit the hustings in
State and Federal elections and
washed her fair share of dishes
on the way to paid employment,
learning life lessons along the way.