Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am honoured to be part in the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. Due to the nature of the Senate, I am delivering this far later than I would have liked. However, I'm excited to finally have the opportunity to share these words from a very special young woman from my community. Raise Our Voice is a fantastic initiative that provides young people from across Australia with the opportunity to engage with political leaders on issues that matter to them. I'm delighted to read out the following speech from Abby from my state of Tasmania—hello, Abbie.

Abbie said: 'My name is Abbie, and I've been a resident of Hobart for 14 years. Over the next decade, I would like to see substantial improvements in junior pay. As a 14-year-old, I'm finally old enough for a job. While researching, I discovered junior pay. Based on information I found on Indeed I discovered the minimum wage for someone under the age of 16 is $8.55 an hour. As of 1 July 2023 the national minimum wage in Australia is $23.23 per hour. That is a $14.68 difference. Now imagine a 21-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl. They are working the same hours and put the same amount of effort in, yet the 21-year-old is paid substantially more. Even by the age of 18, the minimum wage is only $15.87. This is not enough to pay for university or even buy a car. Paying juniors less also effectively encourages discrimination against older workers in the hiring procession. I understand that increasing the junior wage to match the adult pay might lead to employers hiring fewer younger workers. I'm not suggesting a completely equal raise. I just believe that an increase is necessary, as $8.55 is appalling. Thank you for your attention to this matter.'

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also want to add a speech for the Raise Our Voice campaign written by a person from my state Western Australia—thanks, Allysha. Allysha said:

I've always had a somewhat complicated relationship with multiculturalism in Australia. While I am uplifted by the presence of various cultures, ethnicities and identities that are present throughout our community, I still feel a niggling sense of unease settle in the atmosphere whenever topics of racial inequality are brought forward.

Some question whether Reconciliation is necessary. Some say that we have already done enough, and that racism no longer divides us like it used to. Some think that what's passed is passed, and that we should look forward instead of dwelling on what has already happened. But in doing so, we are moving into a future that has still not dismantled the systems of institutionalised racism against minority groups.

Looking at various collections of data that can be found with a quick google search, it is evident that career and educational opportunities for people of colour, especially Indigenous Australians, are significantly lower. And as we know all too well, these economic and social disadvantages are passed down from generation to generation, further entrenching racial inequalities in our society.

In all honesty, I don't know what actions can be taken by the parliament to fix racism, because it is a constant process that requires everyone's willingness to listen, learn, and accept confronting truths. By facilitating open discussions with different demographics, giving marginalised voices local and national platforms, and by promoting an open-minded attitude when it comes to matters of race, our social landscape will be drastically changed in 10 years' time.

In the next 10 years, I hope to see communities that aren't afraid to speak about race. Communities that are brave and open to feeling slightly awkward and uncomfortable when facing their own privileges, and instead of shying away from these conversations, join together to better understand how we can make our nation more fair, safe and equal.