The Raise Our Voice campaign amplifies the powerful voices of young Australians within the chambers of parliament. Today I'll be using my voice on behalf of Kristen Kantzipas. Kristen is a young Victorian concerned about the rising rates of depression among young Australians. Here are her words:

I'm thirteen—Another notification on my phone.

I tried my hardest to ignore it, but being a phone-obsessed teenager, of course I checked it.

But thank goodness I did. It was one of my close friends.

She had sent me the longest paragraph I have ever seen over text message.

As I read through it, I was shocked.

She was telling me about how lost she felt in life and how she didn't know where to go.

It confused me for a while, because she always seemed so happy around me and my group.

But from what I had read in one conversation, it was clear to see she wasn't.

1 in 4 people under the age of 20 suffer from depression.

My idea to prevent this is for the government to set up free hubs around Australia. A hub for all teenagers to go to when they are feeling stressed or depressed.

Let's help our teenagers be happier, enhance their wellbeing, so Australia can be a safe place to all.

Those are her words, and I am proud to have helped raise Kristen's voice today, because her words shed a light on an invisible battle that affects countless young Australians. I hope Kristen continues to use her voice to fight for what she believes in and to help create a better Australia. Thank you, Kristen.