Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This afternoon I would like to use my time to speak in the Youth Voice in Parliament Week, and I will be reading the following words written by Jai Briggs-Ford, who is a young man living in Raymond Terrace but who grew up in Moree. He's in year 12 and wants to be a doctor. His words are: 'My name is Jai Briggs-Ford. I am a proud young Aboriginal man from Moree, located in the Gamilaroi nation. I am currently studying at the Hunter River High School, where I work hard to achieve the high marks in order to accomplish my career aspiration of becoming a doctor. Recently, I was appointed school captain, which was a great honour. I am also President of the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and an NRL youth advocate. So what is my vision for Australia in 20 years? I would love to see Australia and the government really push to have one of the best education systems in the world. This benefits not only the rich upper-class society but also the socioeconomically disadvantaged, which includes a large proportion of Aboriginal people. As a proud Aboriginal man, it truly pains me to see such a large majority of Aboriginal people living in poverty, barely surviving from one day to the next. Malcolm X once said, "Education is the passport for the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepared for it today." The Australian government needs to prepare our young Aboriginal people of today with an affordable, culturally appropriate, world-class education system to build knowledge, as knowledge is power. Taking steps now to provide Aboriginal people with an education passport can break the cycles of poverty. In my vision of Australia in 20 years, the education passport will provide more Aboriginal doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, firemen, politicians and so on.' Thank you.