I rise to recognise Nate Ralph from Mackay, whose speech was selected by the Raise our Voice committee as the winning entry from Dawson. Nate's speech is as follows:

The future of Australia is in the country.

With 70% of export earnings and half of the tourism industry, 9 million Australians who do not live in our capital cities are powering this country.

However, these same people driving the nation are faced with communities underfunded, overlooked and full of barriers against their way of life.

From being nearly 3 times more likely to die from preventable diseases and lives a decade and a half shorter than those in the city, Regional Australian's have a raw deal.

They face a lack of basic infrastructure and health services you would not expect living in a first world country.

But it doesn't have to be this way, regional Australia deserves a fair share of their earnings.

With the resources industry generating billions in revenue, every dollar comes from regional Australia.

The communities creating this wealth must be able to have a part of it.

Through bringing these royalties back to the regions, we can have safe and quality infrastructure you can rely on.

We can have quality healthcare that can close the gap between the country and the city.

Regional Australia deserves a fair deal for the work they put in because the Future of Australia is in the country.

Well said and thank you, Nate.

Nate was also a member of Mackay's inaugural youth council, which made history in 2023 as Australia's first youth council democratically elected by the young people. It's an initiative that started in Mackay and has since expanded to communities all over Australia. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting this year's young candidates, and I have to say I was incredibly impressed. Their passion for change, their ingenious ideas and their innovative campaign strategies were outstanding. In fact, some of their campaign ideas were so good, you might see me borrowing a few of them for the next federal election. One young fellow particularly caught my attention. He was campaigning to stop kids vaping with a clever message about not being fooled by vape flavours, and he even brought along a selection of lollies, encouraging people to choose them instead.

These young Australians aren't sitting around waiting for someone else to make a difference. They are stepping forward. They're speaking up. They're offering real solutions. Mackay's future is in good hands. As Nate's speech reminds us, the future of Australia really is in the country.

I understand the member for Pearce would like to present a copy of their speech for incorporation into Hansard, in accordance with the resolution agreed on 6 November 2025.

The incorporated speech read as follows

I rise today to speak on behalf of two remarkable young women from my electorate of Pearce: Grace, a 16-year-old student, and Juliette, a young Nyoongar woman. Both are part of the Raise Your Voice campaign, and both remind us that the future of this country will be pioneered by young people, teenagers and students just like them.

Grace speaks for a generation that were told that Australia's future rests on their shoulders, yet who watch housing prices skyrocket and our environment destroyed. She has seen friends, once as passionate as she is, become disengaged and demotivated, feeling as though the future is already a lost cause. These young Australians have the right to inherit an affordable, clean future. Grace calls on the changemakers in this place to listen when young people say that, at this rate, they will not be able to afford basic necessities and that we are damaging the land we all share. She asks us to prioritise affordability and sustainability, because young Australians will support a country that supports them. Grace knows that without action, her generation will inherit debt, instability and environmental damage which they did not create. She is asking us to choose differently: to build a future where young people can afford to live and work in the communities they call home.

Juliette reminds us that where you are born and the opportunities you are given shape the future you can build. Opportunity is the bridge between talent and the future. Without it, too much potential remains undiscovered. Equal access to opportunity creates equality. As a young Nyoongar woman, Juliette knows that Indigenous young people still face barriers in education, employment and leadership. Progress has been made, but many students still lack equal access to mentoring, pathways, scholarships and culturally supportive programs that help them thrive. These programs open doors and give young people the confidence to walk through them.

Juliette asks parliament to expand investment in mentoring, leadership development, apprenticeships, university pathways and culturally safe education initiatives that empower Indigenous students. Closing the gap is not just about statistics. It is about creating equal opportunities for young people to discover their strengths, build confidence and contribute their leadership. When Indigenous young people succeed, communities grow stronger and Australia benefits.

Together, Grace and Juliette show us what is at stake. Right now, the future is just a prediction. But, with the voices of young Australians and the power of the people in this room, we can ensure that it is safe, clean, affordable and fair. Young people in Pearce are asking for a seat at the table, for policies that reflect their reality and for the chance to build lives in the country they love. They are asking us to listen when they say that housing must be affordable, our environment must be protected and every young person must have genuine access to opportunity.