Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All around the country over the last few years, peaceful elections have been held to allow the peaceful exchange of ideas. Legislation on all manner of things gets debated in this parliament, for instance, and each member or senator from every part of this continent stands here to give our constituents a voice. We speak on their behalf, to champion the issues that matter the most for them, to express their aspirations and fears and to draw to attention matters of public policy that may impact their lives. In truth, we all come with our own life experiences to this place. Our voices and opinions vary widely but in here we all stand equal and have the right to be heard. But in reality, with 151 of us in this chamber and 76 in the other, the number of voices is limited.

This week I'm delighted to participate in the Raise Our Voice program. Young Australians have written speeches to have their voices heard. I'm pleased to present two speeches on behalf of young constituents in Werriwa. Joanna writes:

"The more we can empower women in sports, the more we can change the world." This quote by Billie Jean King shows the power of supporting female athletes. Yet, in our community, many young women and girls encounter significant barriers to participating in sports.

My name is Joanna, I am 15 years old from the electorate of Werriwa.

Over the past few years, there has been a decrease in female participation in sports within our community. Many young women and girls face challenges related to gender inequality and safety concerns.

Females have limited opportunities in our community to play sports in male-dominated spaces, where they often feel unsupported. We must create an environment where a young woman has the opportunity to succeed in sports.

So, what can Parliament do to lead to this change?

We need to ensure all sports environments are safe and protect all athletes, particularly women, from harassment and discrimination.

Furthermore, we need to change the idea of gender stereotypes in sports that discourage female participation. This includes promoting gender-neutral language, so that sports are simply referred to as "sports" without gendered labels like "men sports" or "women sports".

Australia has always been a land of opportunity and equality. By acting now, we can create the next generation where young women are supported and given equal opportunities in sports.

Brilliantly said, Joanna.

The second young person's voice is Zartasha:

In a nation that prides itself on justice and equality, how can we ignore the glaring overrepresentation of Indigenous voices in our criminal justice system?

Statistics from BOCSAR and ABS reveals that 66.4% of young offenders in remand or detention are Indigenous Australians, an alarming figure that demands urgent action. The disproportionate rates of crime in rural and remote areas highlight the severe lack of accessibility to essential services, exacerbating the problem.

Over the next decade, I call on parliament to intensify research into the underlying causes of crimes committed by Indigenous people and to prioritise strategies that reduce incarceration rates and promote rehabilitation.

Successful initiatives such as the Justice Reinvestment NSW program in Bourke, which significantly reduced driving offences and domestic violence, demonstrate the power of culturally-informed counselling services tailored to Indigenous needs.

Additionally, expanding the use of youth justice conferences for broader ranges of offences can make a profound difference, as seen in Victoria, where recidivism rates for young Indigenous offenders are notably lower than in NSW. These approaches offer a clear path forward.

We must confront this injustice head-on, committing to a future where the criminal justice system protects and serves all citizens, not just the privileged few. The time to act is now.

Thank you for this thoughtful contribution, Zartasha.

Sadly, time doesn't permit me to present the voices of other young people who contributed to this year's Raise Our Voice program in Werriwa in parliament, but I thank Tamirirashe, Ena, Anshka, Zainab, Daisy, Rianna, Archit, Josleen, Rick, Bella, Aiden, Kabir, Ethan, Myriam, Tudor Abdullah, Stefan, Liam, Kobe, Zayyan, Alanah and Minh Nhat for their contributions. I read and enjoyed all their speeches, and, more importantly, I heard their voices.

Having highlighted two young Australians' voices in this chamber, I now add my own. I mentioned earlier that each of us bring our constituents' concerns to this place. In my part of south-west Sydney, the truth is that, for all the improvements to public transport, cars still dominate. Sadly, however, roads to accommodate vehicles have not kept pace. The problem has been exacerbated by unprecedented population growth. In these areas just a few short years ago, you found tomato and chicken farms and cows and horses. You now find houses there.

Further exacerbating the situation is the complete lack of effort by Liverpool City Council to help ease the situation. In short, they've failed residents and my constituents. I could choose any number of examples, but the one I give my voice to today on behalf of the constituents who have contacted my office is the suburb of Middleton Grange. Not to overstate it, but the local road network is a disaster; I know because I also use it.

In response to this situation, at the last election I advocated for my constituents to secure $6 million from the Albanese Labor government to address the issues in the suburb of Middleton Grange. The remaining $6 million to complete the works was to come from Liverpool City Council. But, to my frustration and that of my constituents, nothing has started—nothing at all. I'm currently being overwhelmed by responses to my petition in the local area, confirming just how concerned local road users are, especially in peak times. The petition is still open if you want to add your voice.

Another concern of mine is multiple rounds of black spot funding that is still to be used by Liverpool council. The inertia of the council on this and other infrastructure projects is appalling, and my community are paying the price every day when they get home late from work, miss their appointments or have to leave for work earlier, all because Liverpool council is not meeting its end of the bargain.

Recently, a number of new councillors were elected to Liverpool council. It's my earnest hope that they'll start asking what the problem is and why projects such as the improvement in the Middleton Grange area have not yet commenced. In the meantime, I'd like to voice in this place the concerns of my constituents and hold organisations like the council to account.

At the recent council election, a number of councillors retired or did not re-stand. I acknowledge the Hon. Charishma Kaliyanda, who, since her election to the New South Wales state parliament, has been serving in both roles with distinction. Thankfully, the people of Liverpool will continue to be well served by her understanding of our local community and her care and passion, but I acknowledge all the work she did on Liverpool council since 2016.

Also retiring at this election was Ali Karnib, who gave 29 years of service to the people of Liverpool as a councillor. Ali served on Liverpool Council with distinction, and it was my great privilege to serve with him for eight years before coming to this place. I learned many things from him: dedication, commitment and how to represent the community and help them with their issues. A former teacher, Ali settled in Liverpool in 1984 and subsequently raised his family there. In the ensuing years, Ali has been a champion for our area and our local community. Ali also served for decades as the president of the Lebanese Community Council. Ali always put others front and centre in his mind and his community work. Liverpool council is better for the presence of people like Ali Karnib, and I place on record my sincere thanks to Ali for his friendship and support over many years and wish him all the very best for the future. Thankfully, the legacy of Ali will continue with the election of his son, Sam Karnib, to Liverpool council. I'm certain Sam will continue his father's outstanding work and ensure that Liverpool residents continue to have a strong voice.

I also congratulate Ethan Monaghan on his election to council, and I congratulate Dr Betty Green, who has been returned for another term. I look forward to working with the new council into the future.

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further grievances, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19:28