Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I wanted to come here to relay the youth voices of Warringah. Now remember, I rise to speak about representation and whose voices are heard here in this place and in this parliament. For me, it's so important that we make sure we hear the voices of our young people. This month I hosted a youth voices forum in Warringah. It's an event I have run many times—each year since being elected. Young people consistently tell me that they do not feel well represented in parliament and that the issues shaping their lives are not being taken seriously. As I've often said to them, if you're not at the table, you're on the menu. Far too many young Australians feel decisions are being made about them, without them. One student put it simply that day:

Young people are 25 per cent of the population, but 100 per cent of the future.

Throughout the day, students asked me what it was like to come into parliament after a career as a professional skier and as a barrister. They asked me what it was like being a woman in politics. Those questions were not abstract; they were about whether people with unconventional pathways and voices like theirs could see themselves belonging in this place and sitting at the table.

The strongest message of the day was on mental health, and that's why it was so important. It was a really clear call. One student told me plainly:

Half of all young Australians suffer silently with extreme psychological distress. This is unacceptable.

Another explained why adolescence matters, saying:

Your adolescence is the most fundamental period to gain skills on how to tackle mental health issues, but wellbeing programs in schools are not doing this.

The students called for more counsellors in schools, earlier intervention and an end to stigma. These were not abstract ideas; they were clear policy priorities for those most affected.

They also brought up equity and dignity. Equity emerged again and again, particularly for women and gender-diverse young people. On reproductive health care, one student said plainly:

Universal reproductive healthcare is a need.

Another was unequivocal, saying:

Women deserve free period products—

in schools and in other public places—

We deserve them now, and inequality should be eliminated.

These young people are asking for dignity, access and fairness and for this parliament to take their lives seriously.

Others raised an environmental duty of care and artificial intelligence. Students spoke powerfully about the need for an environmental duty of care and about our responsibility to future generations who cannot yet vote. They are those people, and they are frustrated. One grounded that duty right here in Warringah, telling us:

Dee Why Lagoon and Middle Harbour, some of our most central waterways, are among Australia's most densely microplastic-polluted.

They warned clearly that inaction has consequences, saying:

If we continue to let this pollution into our waterways and into our community, we are risking our wildlife, our natural wonders and our national identity.

That same intergenerational responsibility shaped their concerns about artificial intelligence. Students raised concerns about bias, power and environmental impact. One noted:

By the time I have finished this sentence, AI has already finished drinking a litre of water, and more.

Their message was not anti-technology. It was a call for ethical, transparent governance guided by the public interest. They said:

The government needs to reclaim the power to AI. Because if multiple companies control it, then who knows what information will become.

These young people are not waiting quietly. I'm proud that a young woman from Warringah, Gemma, has in fact just been announced as a National Youth Parliament representative. That is what being at the table looks like, and I want more young people in Warringah and around Australia to know this. Politics is not a closed shop. If young people are not included in decision making, they will live with the consequences, because if you're not at the table, you are on the menu.

We cannot encourage young people to engage, then ignore what they tell us. Representation can't be symbolic. It is practical and necessary. I will continue to bring the youth voices from Warringah into this House, because, when young people are at the table, our democracy is stronger and our future is fairer.

A special thank you to the five students from my youth advisory council, Annabelle, Ambrose, Juliet, Molly and Violet, who helped plan the event. Thank you to Mosman High School, who generously hosted us, and to Raise Mentoring and their youth advisory council, who came and shared their insights—Isla, Darcy and Julia were incredible speakers. Finally, thanks to the many schools that attended and will attend future events in coming months.

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