Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This building has historically not been a place where young people's voices are heard or listened to. We are seeing the results of this laid bare as housing becomes more unaffordable and the climate crisis threatens our future. I believe I'm the youngest person in this House and can confirm it is still not the most welcoming place. I've been heckled and told to quit and come back when I am older. People always assume I work for an MP or a senator because, surely, someone my age couldn't possibly be an elected representative. This is not a place where young people are supposed to be, and that's exactly why we need to be here. The lack of representation of youth voices in political arenas only exacerbates a sense of disconnection. When young people see so few leaders who reflect their experiences or advocate for issues they care about, of course they are less likely to feel motivated to engage.

I recently ran a survey for young people in my electorate, and we saw over 1,000 responses from the community. The message from them could not have been clearer: the political system is broken, and the future feels bleak. Nine-seven per cent of respondents said they do not believe the government listens to young people. They see the game as rigged and home ownership as impossible, and some even noted they decided not to have children because they do not see a future for themselves, let alone a future generation. They want system change. They know what the rules of politics and the economy are, and they do not like them. Those rules have left our society so much worse off, and people feel more isolated than ever. They want thinking outside the box. They want the rules rewritten so that they have a chance at a good and dignified life.

The results of this survey, like I said, couldn't have been clearer. Young people have grown up in an economic and political system that has completely let them down and done precisely nothing to make them feel like they owe those systems anything—and they don't. If our economic and political systems have not delivered for generations of young Australians, we need to start asking why. 'Because that's how it has always been,' is not a valid reason. If entire generations feel like this place is not working for them, it is this place that needs to change, not them.

According to a new study commissioned by the University of New South Wales Australian Human Rights Institute, Australia's coal and gas exports cause more climate damage than those from any other country bar Russia. We've even overtaken the United States because coal is so emissions intensive. This flies in the face of a number of international commitments this government has made to transition away from fossil fuels. Let's be clear, this is part of a deliberate strategy to see our exports soar, which will account for billions of tons in new emissions, completely inconsistent with achieving net zero and totally out of touch with the science. The emissions from our exports are forecast to increase by a whopping 50 per cent by 2035. It's absolute lunacy to continue on this path when Australia is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. So much talk about domestic emissions targets, but nothing about our exports.

The resources minister recently announced the government would award nine new permits to exploit gas reserves in Australia, and yet only 19 per cent of gas fracked in Australia is actually used within our country. People are paying extortionate energy bills and for what? So that huge fossil fuel companies can send their profits from these climate damaging resources overseas. It's completely at odds with the Net Zero Roadmap and shows the Labor Party is not serious about addressing the climate crisis.

Australia's fossil fuel exports in 2023 were likely to lead to 1.15 billion tons of CO2, almost three times the amount omitted in the country. It is shortsighted, it is unsustainable and it will lead to more disasters, more homes becoming uninsurable and higher bills. We export 91 per cent of our coal and about three-quarters of our gas, and this government has absolutely no plan for how to get us off of this train. We need an off-ramp and a plan for an economy beyond coal and gas. I can't believe I have to say this out loud in this place, but the safety of our planet and environment is more important than a sugar hit for fossil fuel companies.