Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I too am proud to be taking part in Raise Our Voice Australia to amplify young people's voices here in parliament. I'm giving this speech on behalf of Olivia, a 16-year-old from my home state of Queensland. Olivia says:

I hope to pursue a career in politics, yet I'm often told, "you'll need tougher skin," or, "you've got to toughen up." But I believe that sensitivity and empathy are not a weaknesses, rather strengths.

I believe that to understand another's pain, to listen without judgement, and to walk in someone else's shoes is the foundation of good leadership, and it's something that we desperately need to see from both current and emerging political leaders.

Compassion breeds action. It drives us to tackle homelessness not with blame, but with housing. To address mental health not with stigma, but with support. To respond to inequality not with indifference, but with justice.

The measure of a society is not how it treats the powerful, but how it treats its vulnerable.

And the measure of a Parliament is not how loudly words are spoken, but how deeply ears listen. Yet too often, politics is driven by self-interest and theatrics, and what's missing is the courage to treat opponents with respect.

Let us build a politics that is less about political slander and more about serving the community. Less about point-scoring and photo ops and more about standing with the vulnerable and creating a space for diversity and difference.

Because compassionate leadership is the key to restoring hope in politics and making a real difference in the world.

That's what 16-year-old Olivia believes, and it really speaks to me as well. The recent UN Australia Youth representative report 2025 shows that only 31 per cent of young Australians feel represented in politics. We need more young women in this place, especially ones with Olivia's compassion, and I look forward to seeing her in the Senate one day.