CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms ROBERTS (Pearce) (10:45): 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.