Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a wonderful opportunity for me to update the House about some activities that have been taking place in my electorate. I'd like to update the House about mid-autumn festival events this year. I was fortunate to attend many local mid-autumn festival celebrations in our terrific Chisholm community. I want to congratulate the wonderful local groups who hosted these events: the Asian Business Association of Whitehorse, the Shanghai Chinese Overseas Friendship Association, the Australian Oriental Martial Arts Tai Chi Inc. group, the Federation of Chinese Associations Victoria and the Chinese Professionals Club of Australia. These terrific events featured wonderful performances and delicious moon cakes and traditional food and were a great opportunity to spend time together with friends and family. I'm always grateful to be included in these celebrations, so I want to thank the groups for their generous hospitality.

These mid-autumn festival celebrations were also an opportunity for me to reaffirm the Albanese Labor government's commitment to diversity and inclusion in our community. Our government continues to support initiatives that empower the Chinese Australian community. We are focused on ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, is welcome, respected and a part of our community here in Australia, whether it's in my electorate of Chisholm or anywhere else across this terrific country. We stand firm in our pledge to foster connections, promote dialogue and create opportunities for all. I hope everyone had a fantastic mid-autumn festival. Jong chiu kwai le, happy moon festival.

I also want to recognise that today, 9 October, is headspace Day. I have two headspaces in my community, one in Syndal and one in Box Hill. I've had ministerial visits to both and met with the youth committees in both, and I want to commend the young people in my community for the work that they do in their advocacy every single day to ensure that every young person in our community is able to access the mental health support that they might need. Today is an important day because it is about raising awareness about the challenges often faced by young people. I'm really passionate about the mental health of young people and I'm a fierce advocate for increased mental health services in my community in Chisholm.

I was able to deliver a new headspace centre in Box Hill. This is a very important new service that is provided to people in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It was much needed. It is very significant that our government took the step to deliver this. I've also worked really hard to ensure that the headspace centre in Syndal, just down the road from my office, has continued to receive its funding. I will keep advocating for more services and more support for the mental health and wellbeing of young people in my community.

It is vitally important that we talk about the mental health of young people. We know that two in five young Australians have experienced a period of mental ill health and half of all mental health issues emerge before the age of 18. So I want young people in my electorate to know that I support them and that their mental health and their wellbeing really matter to me and to our government. I want the young people in my community to know that they are not alone and that there is support available to them at the headspaces in Box Hill and in Syndal. This help is free, confidential and tailored to the needs of young people.

I want to commend the work of the people who spend their days working with young people in the headspaces, too, because it is really vital, and their advocacy is really appreciated by me as well. I look forward to continuing to engage with headspace in my electorate and continuing to support the needs of young people, whether it's in mental health, education or any other area.