Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every year Raise Our Voice invites young Australians to tackle the big questions shaping our future. This year's Macquarie winner is Rohan, and I'm delighted to read part of his speech, which focused on the challenges ahead of us domestically and internationally in trade, human rights and the environment. He says:

The future of young Australians depends on what we do today. It's our responsibility, as a global leader of non-major nations to rally against these challenges.

We cannot compromise on human rights, even when it is the most difficult option. We must defend the freedom of the press and the rule of law, which are so often threatened in the name of national security, to allow our youth to grow up in a safe, democratic and dynamic nation where rights and freedoms are protected.

However, all of this will come to naught if future generations inherit a destroyed world or, may it never be, that they fail to lead. The government must provide Australia's youth the education and opportunities needed to develop through enhanced critical thinking in the face of AI and misinformation, an understanding of basic principles of economics, history and culture, and a reduced voting age to empower those most at stake to defend themselves without their interests at heart. If we fail to act we leave our youth an unjust, unsafe and unprepared world.

Those are Rohan's words. I also acknowledge the efforts of Harper, Mieke and Bronte, who wrote about the importance of access to school sport, quality education and policies focused on the younger generation. I commend them all on their thoughtful and worthwhile contributions to this debate.

There was another young person's speech delivered in parliament this week. This one was by 11-year-old Theo Carson-Drevers from the Blue Mountains, who spoke with confidence to a room full of politicians. It's part of an annual event where children with hearing loss from across Australia and New Zealand come to parliament. This year's theme, 'the power of my team' highlights the life-changing role of early access and team based care in helping deaf children build confidence, communicate and thrive.

I introduced Theo, who was the New South Wales representative, to the health minister just before the event, and Theo assured the minister that he was not at all nervous. Indeed, his speech was delivered with humour and a maturity well beyond his young years. Theo is a powerful example of what is possible when you bring together technology like cochlear implants with multidisciplinary support including speech therapy and family support. I'm sure his teachers have also played a role, and thanks to Chris Rehn, CEO of NextSense, another mountains local, who was there to support young Theo

Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to 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.

Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I am reading speeches written by two young people in my electorate as part of the Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign. The first one is:

My name is Poppy. I'm 14 years old and my federal electorate is Cunningham.

It is a human right to be confident that drugs and other treatments recommended by medical doctors are tested on groups representative of the entire population.

Women experience many more accidental drug overdoses than men because recommended dosages are based on the average male body.

Women are also at higher risk of unwarned adverse drug reactions because more men are tested than women in clinical drug trials.

Women are at higher risk of serious and even fatal medical issues due to thoughtless exclusion from the drug development process, and are unable to trust prescribed drugs and other treatments.

The Australian government can help correct this injustice by improving the National Health and Medical Research Council's and Therapeutic Goods Administration's approval of clinical trials through implementing more measures to ensure trials are representative of the entire Australian population.

If this is enacted, women will be at a decreased risk of negative health effects from drugs and other treatments because they will be more informed of the correct dosages, possible adverse events, and even have access to drugs made specifically for women's health needs, ensuring safe healthcare for all Australians.

Thank you so much, Poppy, for that thoughtful speech on such an important topic.

My second one is from Audrey:

Hi, I'm Audrey. I am 12 years old, and my electorate is Cunningham.

I am the Business Manager, and founder of Sharkies Sharpening since 2021.

It's a knife sharpening business.

The experience of running a business has enabled me to become more confident, improve my communication with people, build resilience and gain a diverse range of general business skills.

I believe that the government should initiate classes committed to teaching young students about how to start and run a business and the benefits of doing so.

Being able to run a business at a young age is a major life advantage.

Operating a business can improve young Australian's skills like how to treat and serve customers, how to handle money, budget earnings and outgoing costs and eventually profit, at a young age.

This could open up new career opportunities, provide experience, improve life skills and make you generally more employable when leaving school.

Support youth business—teach entrepreneurship early, build brighter futures.

Well done Audrey on such an interesting take on supporting young entrepreneurs. I want to thank everybody who took part in this year's Raise Our Voice in Parliament campaign and acknowledge the work of the Raise Our Voice Australia team.

Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.