Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I'm going to give some wonderful speeches now that I didn't write; they were written by young people in my community as part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. The question young people were asked this year is: 'What steps should the government take to build a better tomorrow for young Australians?' The young people in my community have not disappointed.

Scarlett, who is 11 years old, said:

Healthcare is a concern for young Australians but effects all of us. 1 in 4 Australians struggle with accessing healthcare.

The government should make a change because it will earn them more money and save them money.

When you're not sick you're probably at work to earn money, and lots of that money would most likely go into the economy.

It will save the government money because having healthcare will mean that people will get illnesses or diseases addressed before it turns into a big problem.

That's good because it keeps more people out of hospital so they're saving money on our hospitals.

About 46% of Australians have put treatment off due to cost.

That's why I believe that the government should increase the amount of bulk-billing doctors in Australia.

Samuel and Izaac are 10-year-olds, and I met them recently at their beautiful school in Aldinga. They said:

To the Honourable Members of Parliament

There are many ways the government can support young Australians to have a better future. Living costs are so high. Petrol costs are so high. Our parents are struggling to pay for our needs.

It would help to lower taxes and find another way of making money to pay for government services.

You could also lower the tax on petrol, making it cheaper, which would mean Supermarkets would not have to increase their prices as they are not paying high transport costs.

We could get wealthy companies to pay more tax and individuals to pay less tax.

Thank you for listening to our voice.

And 11-year-old Carson talked about supporting small local businesses. He said:

Imagine a future where every single child in Australia lives in a thriving community, with access to shops and essential amenities.

By investing in and supporting local businesses, our government has the opportunity to empower young people with access to local communities and jobs.

It would be a successful and profitable step for the government to support and take action in strengthening local businesses, so they can thrive.

In turn, more taxes could be generated, creating a stronger Australia and a brighter future.

Imagine a future where everyone has easy access to local businesses, where people don't have to drive kilometres upon kilometres just for a simple carton of milk. The future of Australia rests in its small towns. Let's make the future happen today!

Thank you to those wonderful young people, and congratulations to Ashleigh Streeter-Jones, the founder and CEO, who has created a wonderful program for our young people right across Mayo and Australia.

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