CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms MILLER-FROST (Boothby) (09:45): A couple of weeks ago, I was not the only member for Boothby present in this place. The other member for Boothby was 16-year-old Teesha Soni, who ably represented younger voices as part of the National Youth Parliament. One hundred and fifty young Australians from all over the country came to Canberra to tell us what their concerns are and to learn more about civics, how to make their voices heard and how to make change.

The voices of young Australians are vital to an inclusive and functioning democracy, and it is young Australians who will inherit this country and inherit the results of the decisions we make today in this place. Teesha Soni represented her community with grace, intelligence and a commitment to making real change in this country. She made Boothby proud.

I'm delighted to be able to read Teesha's speech on the importance of universal civics education. She says: Deputy Speaker, civics can only function when people understand how it works. Yet only 28% of Australian Year 10 students met the proficient standard for civics knowledge.

This is not just a statistic—this represents thousands of young Aussies who may enter adulthood without the confidence or understanding to participate in our democracy, to participate in shaping our future. Young Australians are truly passionate about having a voice. However, 38% state that politics is simply too complicated.

Moreover, passion must be supported by understanding. Without strong civic knowledge, young people are struggling to understand how civics works. She says: Through my involvement in National Youth Parliament and youth leadership opportunities, I have seen firsthand that when young people are given the tools to understand civics, they do not lack ideas—they have solutions.

What they need is the knowledge and more opportunities to turn these ideas into action. Deputy Speaker, we must strengthen Australia's existing civics education by making it more engaging, practical and relevant. While civics is already part of the Australian Curriculum, students must genuinely connect with the content through hands-on learning opportunities and by incorporating young people's feedback to improve these resources.

Furthermore, digital literacy must be taught alongside civics education, equipping students to identify misinformation and navigate Australia's democracy with confidence. Investing in civic education is investing in the future of decision making. A strong democracy requires more than citizens who can vote—it requires citizens who understand their power to create change.

I think we can all agree that, with youth leaders like Teesha, the future is in good hands.