Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the launch of the national plan for the Push, here in Parliament House, there was a different kind of buzz in the air. Young people were talking about music, what they were building and where they were taking it next. That is what the Push does. For more than 30 years it has backed young people to jump in, try new things and turn their love of music into something real. That's not just for the artists on stage, but for the people behind the scenes as well—the ones running the gigs, mixing the tracks and building the sets from the ground up.

In Melbourne, young people are right at the heart of the live music scene, which is alive, loud and constantly changing. They are filling our venues, starting bands, running shows and moulding the sounds of our city. That energy was right here in Parliament House, because, when you back young people in music, you back their confidence, their creativity and the culture we all get to be part of.

I want to thank the Push for the work they do—for bringing young music and young people together, for bringing the spark back into this place and for backing a generation that is ready to take to the stage.