Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to share with the House a few of the comments that the Catholic College of Bendigo raised with me during their visit to parliament the last time we sat. I asked the group whether there were any messages they would like me to pass on to the Prime Minister and his government. This group said to me that they would like to see more action on climate change, that they believed it was the role of the government to ensure that climate change was taken seriously and that action was taken. They also wanted to see greater support and funding for mental health programs, particularly in awareness and making sure that all young people have access to good support if they needed help with mental health. They also said that they wanted the government to take a more compassionate approach towards asylum seekers and those seeking protection and fleeing persecution.

Another issue the group raised which we spoke at length about was youth unemployment. Half the group had part-time jobs and the other half of the group were looking for part-time jobs to help them through their studies. They also had worries about long-term unemployment, which affects a lot of young people in the region. The final issue the group raised with me was marriage equality. Put simply, they put it to a vote and every single hand was raised. They all said that they wanted this country to embrace and support marriage equality, that they wanted this parliament to give all of its members the opportunity to vote in a free and fair vote.