Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was so pleased to visit two fantastic services in my electorate a couple of weeks ago: Tribal Warrior and Youth Off The Streets. I heard from the workers at both Youth Off The Streets and Tribal Warrior about the wonderful work they're doing and about the additional support that they've received recently from our federal government.

As many would know, Youth Off The Streets was founded by Father Chris Riley in the early 1990s. Father Chris Riley did amazing work, working with young people that many others had given up on and making sure that those young people felt love and support and had a pathway to permanent housing, education and work. Youth Off The Streets has been a sanctuary of support and hope for generations of young people. I met the social workers who are right now helping to connect young people to housing, education, mental health services and support to help them get off drugs. In particular, were talking about vaping and what a problem it has become for many young people. The young individuals, who without this support would have fallen through the cracks, are now stepping forward with renewed confidence and determination. We're investing in these young people. Youth Off The Streets was very pleased to receive just under a million dollars in the most recent funding round, which was part of a $28.3 million funding round to 35 organisations across Australia to support at-risk youth through the Youth Empowerment Program announced by my colleague Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus this month.

The other program, Tribal Warrior, is an organisation that I'm very familiar with. I've worked with it over many years, and I really have to pay tribute to Uncle Shane Phillips and the team at Tribal Warrior in Redfern. It is an organisation committed to cultural preservation and youth empowerment. They are working so well with the next generation of young people, particularly in Redfern. Shane Phillips is a community leader who has done so much good work in our local community. I'm so very pleased to say that Tribal Warrior will receive a million dollars from the Albanese government to continue the excellent work it does. It's the first time that this organisation has received federal funding. I want to say that one of the amazing things that Tribal Warrior has done is work with young people. They pick them up early in the morning and take them to the gym, to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence. They do exercises with them, boxing and other exercises, and make sure they have breakfast and get to school. I'm so proud of the work they do.

A special shout out—there was an international day for social workers last week—to the social workers who work at Youth Off The Streets and in so many organisations across my electorate: thank you.