Julia Irwin (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to make a few brief remarks about a public hearing the Standing Committee on Petitions held in Melbourne at the end of last month. The committee met with a number of principal petitioners and discussed petitions on issues as diverse as the effects of khat on the East African community, funding for students with a disability, pension levels and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

I would like to draw the attention of the House to one group who appeared at that hearing: students from Avila College in Mt Waverley in Victoria. The students—Caitlyn Petrie, Hazel Titus and Alexandra Bellizia—representing the reconciliation group at that school, addressed the committee about their petition calling for Indigenous Australians to be given a greater voice in decisions that affect them. They spoke with great passion and eloquence about the plight of Indigenous students and their work within their school community to educate others about Indigenous issues. We were also very interested to hear that students from Avila go to Santa Teresa community, about 80 kilometres from Alice Springs, to work in the school and community for a week each year.

We often hear that young Australians are not engaged in the political process and feel disconnected and powerless. The efforts by groups such as the reconciliation group at Avila are a marvellous example of students identifying an issue that they believe in and becoming politically active—in this case, in organising a petition and having it presented to the parliament. I commend these students and I must say that, if these young women are any guide, the future of Australia will be in very safe hands.

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