Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I'm going to use my time to read Flynn's speech. Flynn is a young person whose speech reached me through the Raise Our Voice Australia campaign. These are Flynn's words:

Imagine being 17, juggling school, two part-time jobs, and still falling short on rent. That's the reality for thousands of Australian teens today.

Our minimum wage, while better than some countries, is no longer enough to meet the rising cost of living. Rent, groceries, transport, it all adds up.

Young people are burning out before they even get a chance to build their future.

We need to abolish the junior pay rates by making wages equal for people under 21. This isn't just about dollars, it's about dignity.

Abolishing junior pay rates would ensure that no teenager working part-time is forced into financial survival mode. It would reflect real costs, not outdated assumptions.

With fair pay, teens could focus on education, contribute meaningfully to the workforce, avoid the trap of chronic stress and poverty, and be able to enjoy young adulthood in the way that previous generations before them did.

Australia prides itself on giving everyone a fair go. But right now, we're failing our youngest workers. Let's change that. Let's invest in their potential, not exploit their desperation.

Abolishing junior pay rates is not radical, it's responsible.

It's how we build a stronger, smarter, more welcoming Australia. Because no one should need three jobs just to sleep under a roof!

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