Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Last week I held the ninth annual Burt Youth Leaders Forum, our biggest yet, hosting two student leaders from eighteen high schools from across my community to share the issues that they see as the most important to Australia. From Kenwick in the northern end of Burt out to Piara Waters on the western edge and Byford in the south, students from all over our community had their say.

Just because they can't vote yet doesn't mean that their voices shouldn't be heard by the parliament. The students raised important issues that affect all of us, with topics including the cost of living, housing affordability, AI deepfakes, education and innovation, community division, global instability, the importance of the family unit and recognising overseas qualifications, as well as mental health and overdiagnosis. And they didn't just raise problems; they worked through the causes of each issue and how it impacts people, before coming up with ideas for how each issue could be improved or fixed. I'll soon present a report with those findings to the Prime Minister and to Western Australian Premier Roger Cook.

Young people aren't always included in the forming of policy and the decision-making that will impact their future. Engaging and consulting with young Australians should be genuine and not an afterthought. Through the annual Burt Youth Leaders Forum, I'm able to elevate the concerns of young people in our community to the federal parliament, sharing what they want to see from us as national leaders. Issues include the cost of living, housing affordability and mental health, which students have raised with me many times before, but also new issues and emerging areas of concern.

This year students talked about AI safety and protecting children from exploitation in this evolving technology. This concern isn't unique to young people, and we've already acted, passing the anti-deepfake laws in 2024. However, there clearly is still concern amongst young people in this space. Our young leaders also raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to harness AI for our economic future.

I also want to take this opportunity to mention that Youth Week WA is coming up from 10 to 16 April. Take part in an event; volunteer; get engaged. This is a chance to recognise the valuable contributions of young people in WA and to be involved at events like Serpentine Jarrahdale's Youth Fest.

I can't wait to see the impact all these young leaders make in the future to our community and to our nation. Thank you for your contribution, your time and your sincere engagement in our democratic processes into the future. Our future is in very good hands.

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