STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr LITTLEPROUD (Maranoa) (16:26): The Raise Our Voice Australia campaign allows our young people to express their vision and their priorities for the Australian parliament. Today I'm thrilled to speak on behalf of Chloe, who is a 16-year-old young lady from Kingaroy in the electorate of Maranoa. Chloe writes: One of the biggest issues shaping my future is the lack of affordable housing.

As someone who lives in a regional town, going to university in the city is complicated by the lack of affordable rentals. How can we be expected to afford to find a place to live, on top of other living expenses? I'm in year 11 and will soon be considering the move to a metropolitan area, although the cost of living is going to heavily influence the outcome.

If there is not a solution, the rental prices will put a hold onto my future. Even if there are ways for me to get some help, like youth allowance, most are reliant on my parent's net worth, which limits the amount of help that I will be offered. How am I meant to get a higher education if I can barely support myself?

I understand that some will have their parents backing them, but unlike them, I must work extremely hard. I would propose that parliament consider allocating funds for students who must support themselves. If the issue was fixed, so many people from poorer backgrounds would be able to afford to leave home and support themselves, providing them with an equal opportunity to a higher education.

Chloe could not have articulated that better. The challenges of regional students in having to leave home to go and get an education that many in metropolitan areas don't understand.