Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to read speeches from three amazing young people from my electorate who've written about issues they are passionate about for the Raise Our Voice campaign. Zara is concerned about the cost of university. She says:

Broke, confused, sacrificing everything to make 13 years of schooling seem worth it.

Making students pay up to $120,000 to attend university is severely affecting the lives of many in the short term, long term and even before students attend university.

I am a 14 year old, and I shouldn't be concerned about the cost of university. But I am.

University is the place where majority of us were expected to be after high school.

Is Parliament trying to reduce the amount of University-based careers in our society?

Not only does the cost of university play a part in the decrease of nurses or teachers, but the cost is outrageous, unreasonable and a revolting amount for people to pay.

Most primary schools and high schools are free, and university used to be free, but is now removing every last cent from young adults wallet.

People are now struggling, unable to afford anything in a cost of living crisis.

Many aged 35plus are STILL paying their tuition off, vulnerable university students are struggling to function with little money and upcoming generations are picturing their adult lives as miserable, all because of the cost of university.

We need to subsidise the insane cost of university fees … before it is too late.

Mikaela from Wallsend high school says:

I want to talk about young carers and siblings of children with disabilities and my vision for a future where they get more recognition and support in the community through the development of programs to assist them.

One in 5 children are considered young carers in Australia. Carers for their parents, their grandparents, family members or siblings.

For me, it's my younger brother Lincoln.

From the age of 5 I knew how to help mum and dad with his feeding tube, what to do if he had a seizure and what I needed to pack if I had to stay at my Nan's house. Again.

I remember the birthday at Vacation Care when my parents had to take him to get another surgery. I remember missing out on parties and holidays due to his need to be close by to a hospital.

I also learned early on that I didn't have any friends my age who understood what it was like to have those kinds of worries and responsibilities.

My parents also noticed this and despite trying to find other people our age to connect with who would understand, they had no luck.

In 10 years time, wouldn't it be amazing to have support easily accessible.

To have a community where young carers can connect with other young carers.

Where people like me can get help through the difficult times.

Where information can be available and where we feel heard, safe and empowered.

Where our "normal" is recognised by the people around us and where we can have opportunities to escape and be a kid again, even if only for an afternoon.

Jade wrote about mental health. She says:

In ten years I want my country, my world, to be a happier, healthier and safer.

I would like to see members of my community getting the mental health help they need.

1 in 6 Australians have had serious thoughts of killing themselves.

It is in the top three leading causes of death for people under 35.

These statistics need to change, and for this change we need serious action.

Do we have enough services give everyone who suffers with their mental health the help they need, are we going to let these people die, feeling alone and miserable? There are 52,130 same day and 205,220 overnight public hospital mental health-related hospitalisations in 2021-22.

In 2022-23, 3% per cent of presentations to public Emergency departments were mental health-related.

If that many people need to go to the HOSPITAL, I just wonder how many others need help.

It is crucial that parliament do something for mental health, lives are at stake, families wellbeing are at risk! 54% of people who have a mental illness do not access any treatment.

At least one in five people with severe mental illness are unable to recognise they have an illness.

So with people who don't access treatment, and people who think they don't need it, that's a lot of people who aren't getting care.

Thanks, Jade, Mikaela and Zara and everyone else that took the time to write speeches for the Raise Our Voice campaign. I just want to let you know that everybody in this place is listening to you. We are hearing what is being said from these and we hope to see change in the future. All 151 members of this place want to make Australia a better place, so please know that we are thinking of you when you say these things.