Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Hansard source

Each year, the Raise Our Voice competition invites young Australians to answer a powerful question: what steps should the government take today to build a better tomorrow for young Australians? In Goldstein, that voice belongs to Leonard Callegari, a grade 6 student from St Agnes' Primary School in Highett who lives in Hampton East. I had the pleasure of meeting Lenny and his mum in the Goldstein electorate office last week. His submission, titled 'An Australian opportunity', is a passionate call for action. Here is Leonard's vision for a better Australia:

The Australian youth crime rate has skyrocketed in these past few years. A proven way to tackle crime is by creating localised sport and community programs. Children and teens who participate in these types of programs are less likely to reoffend. Programs like this can change the outlook for these small groups of reoffending youths in our area and will in turn have a positive impact in creating safer communities.

Another reason Australia has been negatively impacted by crime is because of our weak bail laws. This is particularly in Victoria. It states in Bail Act 1977, If one is granted bail they must abide by the laws of probation. It seems that this is ignored. If we can't change the outcome at the root cause for these criminals, we must protect our communities by enforcing stricter probation and bail laws.

For a better Australia we also need cheap and reliable energy. Soon, kids from my generation will not have the same opportunities that previous generations had in Australia because of cost-of-living pressure. Energy bills keep rising and rising, and for some reason we are so focused on climate change that we rebut against nuclear power which provide safe and affordable energy.

That's my outline for a better Tomorrow for Australia, for the future of millions of kids.

Lenny's words are a call to action. Not only does he marry the challenges we face, but he looks to solutions. He's a reminder that the decisions we make in these walls don't just shape the present; they shape the future as well. Lenny has seen the challenges we face—rising crime, cost-of-living pressures and energy insecurity—but he also sees those solutions and believes we can see through them and lead through them, and that's our task. He believes in the power of community, in the importance of fairness and safety and in the promise of innovation. I'm so excited that he was part of this important program and that I had the opportunity to read out his speech. Most importantly, Lenny believes in Australia. He believes in its future, and he believes in its capacity to be part of building a better future for future generations. He believes that we can do better, not just for himself but for every child who dreams of a future filled with opportunity, safety and hope. Congratulations, Lenny.

See this speech in context