CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr VENNING (Grey) (10:38): I rise to share the words of nine year 11 students from my electorate. These incredible young and rural achievers from Grey are the future of our nation. These are the voices everyone in this place needs to listen to.

So I am happy, on their behalf, to share their speech with you today: We write this speech not just as students, but as future adults deeply concerned about the Australia we are growing into. For generations, owning a home has represented independence, security and the ability to build a future. A home is where families create memories, where children grow up, and where people feel they belong.

But for many young Australians today, this dream is becoming increasingly out of reach. We worry that by the time we are ready to buy a home, prices will be so high that it will be impossible without sacrificing our entire quality of life. We do not want a future where we spend every dollar just trying to survive.

We want to enjoy life, travel, spend time with our families, and pursue the things that make us happy. Just as the generations before us have. We are asking Parliament to take action.

Invest in building more affordable homes and increasing housing supply… So young people have a genuine chance to own a home. Expand opportunities in trades and technical education. And encourage skilled migration so we have more skilled workers who can build the homes Australia desperately needs.

Young Australians are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for the opportunity to build a secure future in the country we call home. Please listen to our concerns and act now.

Because the future we inherit depends on the decisions you make today. Thank you to Amelia, Ryan, Rachel, Darcy, Chloe, Jaxon, Josh, Olivia and Harper for letting me share their speech with you here today. These students have told us what they think with more clarity than many in this place.

We need more targeted skilled migration not mass migration. We need to invest in housing supply not more housing taxes. We all know that, when you tax something, like housing, you get less of it.

They've done their part. Now, it's up to us to do ours, and that means listening and acting on what we hear. Yesterday, in the House, we saw it again.

We have a small business minister who listens to small businesses. What are they saying? They're saying your government policies are killing them.

CGT changes and trust changes that didn't go to an election are hurting small business. The inability to use credit cards for ATO payments, forcing payment surcharges on small businesses—these policies are not helping small business.