Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I recently visited a class of year 11 politics and law students at Duncraig Senior High School, in my home state of Western Australia. Apart from an unwelcome reminder of how short I am, I was not sure what to expect. These students were only beginning their studies in this area, but after only a few moments I could tell they were genuinely intrigued by politics and the work that the Albanese Labor government is doing to prepare for their futures. I shared with them my story as a migrant to this country and my path to now having the honour of being able to represent them in this place. It's important to show our young people that, no matter their circumstances, in a country like Australia there are opportunities to succeed.

However, the real joy of this visit was the depth and complexity of the questions the students asked me, across a wide range of issues. It was an incredibly refreshing change from what I am about to experience during question time from those opposite! I was asked about tackling discrimination, gender equality, the environment, career opportunities and even about Australian foreign affairs. I was very impressed and even more delighted to be able to tell them that our government is taking real action on issues like closing the gender pay gap, legislating emissions reduction targets to get us to net zero, fee-free TAFE places—and the list goes on. A huge thankyou to the students at Duncraig Senior High School and their incredible teacher Elizabeth Clark for organising the visit. I'm excited to keep meeting students across WA.