National Plain English Speaking Award 2012

First organised in Victoria in 1977, and becoming a national competition the year after, the Plain English Speaking Award is open to senior students of government and non-government schools in each state and territory. To get to Brisbane for the national finals on August 13, each winner had to progress through school and regional finals, and state or territory semi-finals and finals. The winner of the national final qualifies for the international final held in England by the English Speaking Union. Peter Hartcher won that title in 1982, qualifying as the national winner in 1981 when he was a student at Chevalier College in Burradoo, NSW, the same Peter Hartcher who is now the Political and International Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, and the same Peter Hartcher who was the chief adjudicator for the 2011 national finals. Stand-up comedian Tom Ballard was a runner-up in the national finals in 2007.