CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr WILKIE (Clark) (09:34): Every year for the last five years Raise Our Voice Australia has asked parliamentarians to amplify the voices of the young people from their electorate by reading speeches submitted by constituents aged 25 or under. This year young people were asked to submit a speech answering the question: what steps should the government take today to build a better tomorrow for young Australians?
To that end, I'm delighted to read a speech submitted by Kodie, a 17-year-old from my electorate of Clark: I am 17 years old, Aboriginal and living in Tasmania. I dream of becoming a lawyer to stand up for justice, to give back to my community and to help shape a fairer Australia. But right now, I work three jobs just to keep up with the cost of living.
That's not ambition—it's survival. If the Government truly wants to build a better tomorrow for young Australians, it must act today with urgency and compassion. We need cost of living relief that reaches those of us who are working hard but still falling behind.
That means affordable housing, fair wages for young workers and access to education without a crippling HECS debt. We also need investment in mental health services, especially for young people juggling work, study and family responsibilities. And for Aboriginal youth like me, culturally safe support systems and pathways into leadership roles are essential, not optional.
A better future isn't built by speeches or slogans. It's built by listening to young voices and the future generation. We're not just the leaders of tomorrow—we are the workers, the carers, the changemakers of today!
So there you have it. I thank Kodie for his hard work on this speech, which is on an issue that is important to a great many young people across the country. I thank him for his reminder to all of us in this building to focus not on speeches and slogans but on listening to young people and acting with urgency and compassion to provide the services and supports that they tell us are critical for their future.
I would add that, at the end of the day, no-one alive has a bigger investment in planet Earth and humanity than our youngest people. Heavens to Betsy, for us in this place our race is half run, and the worst effects of climate change are quite possibly beyond us. Moreover, we're likely to enjoy from here an affluence many younger Australians can only dream of.
No couch surfing for us. So we must listen to the youth, hear their concerns and lay the solid foundation stones for a future, not just for the present.