Basem Abdo (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At Kolbe Catholic College in my electorate, I had the pleasure of joining students, teachers and staff for the school's feast-day celebrations, which included a walk against domestic violence. Dressed in purple, carrying the words 'Not now, not ever', students took to the streets to send a powerful message: violence has no place in our homes, in our schools or in our community. The statistics show why this leadership shown by the school was so critical. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that one in four women and one in 14 men have experienced a form of violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15, nearly a quarter of women and 14 per cent of men have experienced emotional abuse by a partner and more than 1.6 million women and 745,000 men have endured economic abuse. These are disturbing figures, but they are not just numbers; they represent neighbours, friends, colleagues and families in every community. The truth is the cycle of violence can only be broken by education, prevention and cultural change; that is why what I saw at Kolbe mattered so much. Education leadership provided for and by young Australians, like that shown by students in my community, is the key to ending this awful cycle of abuse. I congratulate the students, teachers and staff at Kolbe for the incredible work done to highlight such an important social issue and for their ongoing advocacy—a truly grassroots effort, real action on the ground, one step at a time.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Elevation Secondary College in Craigieburn, where I met with the student leadership team. Elevation is a school that lives its vision: to be an inclusive, outward-looking community committed to improving student learning, wellbeing and outcomes for every young person. The school values are clearly lived out by the students I met, who represented this school with pride and with purpose. The student leaders I met are amongst our community's brightest, and Elevation is helping to grow the next generation of our leaders: young people who are not only academically capable but also community minded, outward-looking and determined to make a difference. That is why I'm so proud to represent Calwell, a place that embodies the values of fairness, opportunity and solidarity. I will continue to fight for policies and programs that give every young person in our community the chance to live out their potential and to tackle every opportunity, engage in study, work and build independent lives. I congratulate the students, teachers and all staff at Elevation Secondary College for their ongoing commitment to continuous learning and academic excellence.

See this speech in context