Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this year, Foundations for Tomorrow sent me their Awareness to action report, which captured over 10,000 young Australian voices, providing an insight into critical issues for young people. The results of the report are confronting. Only four per cent of young Australians have absolute confidence in our approach to solving global challenges, with 60 per cent feeling uncertain about the future. When young people were asked what traits would enable them to put their trust in leaders they identified proactive action, increased sustainability and improved transparency. While these findings indicate a trust deficit amongst young Australians, they also provide insight into how the situation may be rectified. Our young voices are diverse and perceptive. It's time they were heard.

Many Australians, especially young people, remain underrepresented in our parliament, and I believe that until they see themselves in our chambers we will struggle to rebuild this trust. This group embodies the future of Australia. It is our responsibility to encourage their engagement and their shaping of it.

To achieve this goal I joined with the Raise Our Voice campaign, which strives to amplify young voices, offering a platform on which to lead conversations on domestic and foreign policy. This year participants were asked to submit a 90-second speech in response to the question 'What should Australia's new parliament accomplish?' In Mayo I received five distinctive entries, and I felt that each warranted recognition. Fifteen-year-old Addison discussed sexual assault, identifying failures in our justice system and the need for greater action. Eleven-year-old Denver argued convincingly for the construction of an Adelaide cricket ground. Seventeen-year-old Thomas spoke of a future in which 'issues of oppression and coercion are brought into the spotlight', with similar views being presented by 11-year-old Hudson, who spoke about 'increasing awareness of racism' and 'remembering that we're all humans, no matter what race you are'. Finally, 16 year old Daniel shared and excerpt from his poem about climate action. He wrote:

I gaze with sorrow,

For I know what comes tomorrow.

Water, wind and fire

of which she warned them would follow.

I must say, it is a privilege to talk and engage with young people in our community. I don't know about other members in this chamber, but certainly when I talk to young people in my community I feel immense hope for tomorrow.

Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

LAXALE () (): I too am reading a few statements from young people within my electorate, on behalf of Raise Our Voice Australia. Its aim is to amplify diverse young voices 'to actively lead conversations in politics, domestic and foreign policy'. The first one is from Yuna Cho, who is a 14-year-old student from the Bennelong electorate:

I am one of the many lucky people living in this country being able to proudly call myself Australian despite my foreign heritage.

People from all around the globe are able to call Australia their home, and despite our accepting society, it would be an overstatement to say that everyone in our country is treated equally.

Racial prejudice is still apparent in our society.

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still have to deal with racism, and our migrants and refugees still fear their contribution to our larger community.

Australia is a socially developed country when it comes to multicultural diversity.

However, we can still achieve more. I wish to see Australia as a unified, patriotic nation.

I wish for our new Australian parliament to proudly represent our nation to become stronger and a more harmonious nation.

Every single Australian should be proud of our beautiful land, our people, our cultures, and our differences which makes us all unique yet unified at the same time.

The leaders of our country should show us what it means to be an Australian, and represent our country with pride.

I hope our new Australian parliament will help us build the country we all love.

The second speech is from Patrick, who is 19, works full time and lives in Bennelong:

Housing in this country is broken. Young people like myself are going to auctions only to find themselves outbid by someone who already owns two, three or four houses, meanwhile pushing up the price of housing and making it harder for young people like myself to enter the market.

Why is this happening?

A good place for the new parliament to start would be by examining the merits behind giving public money to people who are fortunate enough to already own multiple houses and using it as a tax dodge to write off the loss should they choose to invest by buying up further supply in the housing market.

As a result—the cost of rent and property values goes up and up and up, and one of the key things the new parliament could do would be to invest in nation building projects like public housing.

If we invested in public housing, we would not only create thousands of new jobs and opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, we would also help reduce inequality and crucially, bring down rates for everyone else …

It gives me great pleasure to read these two speeches on behalf of young people in my electorate. I encourage as many young people as possible to be engaged in politics and to reach out to their MPs. Maybe they too can have a speech read out here in parliament on their behalf. We don't necessarily have to agree with everyone, but a conversation is incredibly important. I thank Patrick and Yuna for their contribution in this parliament.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a privilege to stand here during Youth Voice in Parliament Week to present a speech written by 14-year-old Joshua Patrick from Northam, which is in the great electorate of Durack. I was very impressed by Joshua's understanding of some of the key issues affecting regional and remote Western Australia. I truly appreciate the effort that he has gone to to ensure that his experience is heard. This is what Joshua wrote:

Having personally had lived experience, or had those in my immediate family experience disability; caring role and accompanying poverty; complex medical issues and unnecessary health system battles; the inherent isolation and diminished opportunities for those living in regional (and remote) WA; and domestic violence and sexual abuse, I am well-placed to comment on what the new Parliament should achieve. I am also a passionate, creative experimenter in the realm of affordable, achievable, sustainable environmental practices and solutions.

The recommendations I would prioritise, are:

I hope you will see that I am well-placed to make the above recommendations knowledgeably and from a position of rare and unique insight, due to the diverse range of life circumstances I have personally experienced in my life.

That's the end of Joshua's speech. Thank you, Joshua, very much, for your incredibly thoughtful contribution. I look forward to meeting you soon in Northam to discuss your priorities further.