Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Are you a young changemaker? What change do you want to see? These are two questions I asked young people aged 16 to 17 years in Swan, and I received some amazing replies. One said:

A change in less screen time and being able to feel safe online.

Another said:

I would like Australia to become a place where we are not separated by labels given to them, where everyone is celebrated for their individuality.

We also had:

I would like to see changes that make housing in Australia more affordable so people can live fulfilling lives.

And how about this one:

One of things I'd like to see in Australia is more equitable access to healthcare services, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Growing up in an urban area, I was fortunate to have easy access to decent healthcare. However, I'm well aware that this is not true for many Australians who live in rural and distant areas. For such communities, receiving necessary healthcare services frequently requires long distance travel, which may be both time-consuming and costly. This difference can result in delayed treatments, poorer health outcomes, and a decreased quality of life. I believe that every Australian, regardless of geographical location, has the right to timely and effective healthcare.

These are powerful quotes from young people in the electorate of Swan. What it shows is that young people care about their future and their community. They care about a future that we are creating for everyone, not just a few.

I'm excited to be hosting the first ever Swan Young Changemakers Conference in partnership with Pawsey, a supercomputer facility in the tech park in Swan. What's best is that this will not be death by PowerPoint or a lecture by politicians. These will be conversations facilitated by young leaders like Jemima Williamson-Wong, a councillor at the City of Fremantle; Maisara Muzaffar, Youth Citizen of the Year; and Denzel Jackson from the Perth Redbacks Basketball Club. Also involved are Molly Collard and Emily Williams, who are working with young people to generate ideas and create environments that young people want to participate in.

These are the young leaders of today and the future leaders of tomorrow. These are young changemakers who will shape the future of our nation and inspire young people to follow in their footsteps. I'm listening to them and working with them.

See this speech in context