Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are so many bright young minds in my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales who are full of ideas about the future. They want to make the world a better place and they want change. But far too often their ideas are overlooked and their voices are ignored. That's why I decided to join this year's Raise Our Voice Australia campaign, to give young Coasties the chance to have their voices heard in parliament—a place where ideas can turn into action. I'm pleased to say that many young people in my community submitted a speech focused on the question: what do you want Australia to look like in 20 years? They were all excellent, but there was one speech that was a clear stand-out by a young man named Jacob. He wrote to me:

'Ngata. My name is Jacob Smeaton, I am freshly 18 years old and a proud Kerrup-Jmara man, a clan of the Gunditjmara,whose ancestral roots reside on Lake Condah, Victoria. I've been born and nurtured on beautiful Darkinjung Country in the Dobell electorate of the Central Coast and I am raising my voice so others' voices can be heard.

My vision for Australia in 20 years is a nation that truly honours the custodians that never ceded sovereignty of this land. This journey continues with a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament and true collaboration toward treaty-making and truth-telling of this country's history, and therefore reconciliation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This can be achieved through the Uluru Statement from the Heart gaining bipartisan commitment, the community being educated on the statement and a referendum being held. The statement proposes a constitutional voice being enshrined, empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have a say in law and policy affecting them, as well as the establishment of the makarrata commission to supervise agreement-making and influence truth-telling. The Uluru Statement being constitutionally enshrined will help heal the wounds of this country and truly reconcile.'

I thank Jacob for this speech and for speaking up about what matters to him and to so many people across Australia. I would also like to thank a few other people who submitted speeches. Phoebe, who is 17, wrote to me and said: 'In 20 years, arguably the near future, I hope to see empathy re-enacted and treated with great emphasis in this country. I hope to see a nation that views itself as a collective society as opposed to a collection of individuals; a nation where racial and gender equality are heavily championed, and climate justice is achieved.'

Then there's Sarah. Sarah told me: 'I would like to see equal rights being upheld for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 20 years. The Indigenous youth suicide rate is more than double the rate of non-Indigenous youth. Indigenous Australians are more likely to be incarcerated and our First Nations peoples are experiencing higher rates of meant health concerns. I would like to see the government change this.'

Then there's Carlos. He told me: 'In 20 years I would want to see an Australia that runs sustainably. In 20 years I would want to see an Australia that stops relying on the fossil fuel industry and the cotton industry and all other industries that hurt the planet. In 20 years I want to see an Australia that has controlled the wildfires, and koalas that don't go instinct. In 20 years I want to see an Australia that I can confidently call home.'