Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to take this opportunity in the Main Committee to talk about something I have been doing in my electorate for the last 10 years. It is interesting that the Minister for Youth and Minister for Sport is here as well. Each year in my electorate we have conducted an SRC meeting, where we invite high school students from the secondary schools within my electorate to come and meet with me. Traditionally it is the SRC representatives. We invite the students to come and talk with other students from different schools about the issues that are of concern to them. It is always very useful for me to hear the things that are uppermost in young people’s minds.

When I was first elected—at the same time as Deputy Speaker Burke—I was at the younger end of the spectrum of MPs but nevertheless even at that time I was already twice the age of these years 11 and 12 students. Over my 10 years of being in parliament of course that gap has increased. But the issues that the students persistently raise are very interesting, and those that change have been interesting too, and that is what I want to draw to the attention of the House. Every year the students have been incredibly focused on education, in particular on the cost of education and on their view that living in the western suburbs of Melbourne and attending schools where there is a great variety of family incomes puts them very much under pressure about the costs of going on to further education. That has always—every year and without doubt—been the top priority. Certainly, it is a reminder of how many bright young people there are, of how inquisitive they are, of the sorts of ideas that they have for the future and of how, despite being a little bit worried about education opportunities, they have a real sense of optimism that they will be able to contribute significantly.

What was interesting to me this year was that students were focused on street violence, an issue that has had increased attention in our media but in the local community has been highlighted particularly after the very brutal bashing of a highly respected doctor known to many of us here, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal. They were not as concerned as they have been in past years about illicit drug use in schools. They were concerned about binge drinking and safety on the trains. They had lots of suggestions about local transport issues. I found it very useful to see these issues from their perspective. Their concern about safety was as acute as their parents’ concerns. Our determination to do something about binge drinking but also many other issues was supported by them. I want to thank the students for coming and reporting their views. This year the forum was represented by students from Williamstown High School, Bayside Secondary College, Mount St Joseph’s Girls College, Braybrook College and Gilmore Girls College. Each year I find it very useful to record their views. (Time expired)