Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Age doesn't diminish the value of voices or opinions. Take a moment to listen and you'll realise the younger generations of Australia have quite a lot to offer. They're observant, attentive and they're engaged in understanding. These young individuals want to share their thoughts, their views and their words.

And I am proud to partner with Raise Our Voice Australia to amplify their voices in Parliament House this week. The theme of this year is 'What change would make Australia a better place for future generations?' I will be presenting a speech from a young boy in my electorate later this week in the chamber. But as there were so many amazing submissions, I wanted to take this opportunity to get as many young voices heard in this house. The first one is from Ben from Adelaide. He is 14 years old. He highlights the pressing issue of the relationship between police and the Aboriginal community. He says:

The safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are being squandered …

… this is happening because of intense police brutality usage in Australia.

The change I want to advocate would be to change the police structure of Australia to make it fairer …

… you and I as people of Australia need this to happen.

And if we do make this change, it will help immensely.

I realised that police brutality was a problem in this country when my family reminisced about when in Tennent Creek and Alice Springs,

At first, I thought that the Police were trying their hardest to better it until I found out that …

… around 13,161 Indigenous Australians were involved in about 28,826 cases of Police brutality cases in 2018-2022.

I was disgusted, and I felt betrayed.

I thank Ben for his views and his thoughts.

Brent is from Adelaide. He is 10 years old and he brings attention to the challenges faced by homeless individuals. He says:

Hello there, my name is Brent and I have been thinking about the challenges that homeless individuals face daily.

I believe that providing special kits to homeless individuals who are struggling to make ends meet can go a long way.

It is important to remember that everyone deserves a chance to live with dignity and respect …

… and we can all play a role in making this a reality.

By working together, we can help those who are less fortunate and make our communities stronger and more compassionate.

The following one is from Sania from Adelaide. She is 16 years old. She addresses the financial burden of women's sanitary products. She says:

We reside in the 5th most liveable country in the world.

A testament to our commitment to a high quality of life.

But today, we ask the question of what change can be made to create a better country for the future …

… we must think of the quietest struggle.

The average Australian woman will spend $10,000 in her life on women's sanitary products.

If these products were free, she could put a down payment on a house, buy a second-hand car and even pay half off the average HECS debt.

We're now stood on the precipice of change and can start a revolution that transcends time, gender, and opinion.

We cannot rest until every individual, regardless of their background can uphold their dignity.

It's not just an opportunity but a moral duty. It's time to break the silence and create a future of unwavering equality for all.

Ben, Brent and Sania are the voices of Australian youth, and every single one of them is an advocate. We need to truly listen to our young people if we are to rebuild their trust in every one of us here in this place. We should be encouraging the young people in our electorates to apply for the government's 2024 youth advisory groups, and we should all be encouraging our younger Australians to make their voices heard loud and clear. The Albanese Labor government is passionate about enabling young people to be involved in the decisions that affect their lives and futures because we know that a government that works with young people will deliver a better future.

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