Young People

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (15:17): Deputy Speaker, I do not know if you do, but I often hear people being disparaging about or disrespectful to our younger people. They call them the 'me generation', only interested in themselves, in a hurry to get to where they want to be. Who can blame them for being in a hurry? It is we who have taught them to never die wondering and to work hard to achieve. I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing; in fact, I think it is a good thing. Today, I want to refute those claims that the younger generation is all about, 'It's about me.'

That is not to say that all the younger generation are perfect. Well, they are not. There are some shockers, just as there are older people who are shockers. You only have to look around this chamber and the small cohort we have here to realise that we are not all perfect. What this last 16 years have taught me, amongst other things and other lessons, is that in the main the younger generation is predominantly made up of decent young human beings, who I have no doubt will grow up to become very decent, caring adults. They will become great contributors to our communities, our state and our nation.

As a member of parliament closely connected to the schools in my area, I have witnessed firsthand young people going to extraordinary lengths as individuals and often as a collective to make their world—our world—a better place. There are many examples I can provide. There are the outstanding efforts of St Michael's College students, who not only recognise disadvantage but drive themselves to do something about it. There is Bahija from West Beach Primary School who, with her family, has established a project to send wheelchairs to Morocco, which has activated the broader community.

Any number of other primary schools in my area are doing great work on environmental issues. There is Hudson O'Neil from Star of the Sea School who, along with a small group of his fellow students, has educated his peers, teachers and school community about the implications of the Adani mine being proposed in Queensland, should it proceed. There are many other examples I could provide, but I am going to focus now on one: the story of Henley High School student Jed McDonald and the extraordinary efforts of his fellow students in supporting Jed.

On 5 June, after a short period of feeling unwell, Jed was diagnosed with a brain tumour and underwent surgery on 8 June. After seven hours on the operating table the surgery was stopped—there were blood pressure issues—and the tumour remains in his head. As you would expect, it has had serious implications and effects on Jed's everyday life.

I did not know of these events until I recently attended a Henley High School graduation of year 12 students. At this graduation six year 12 students assisted a young man, Jed McDonald, onto the stage to accept his certificate. Sitting alongside the school principal, Eddie Fabijan, I asked him what was going on—initially I thought that Jed may have been a student from the Lyn Wright learning centre for kids with special needs. Eddie told me the story, the circumstances of which I have just spoken about.

I subsequently learned that Keon Doecke, a prefect and a member of the student executive, had emailed the student executive, the governing council and Henley High School staff, shocked at what he had witnessed at the graduation and at the circumstances in which Jed found himself. He decided to do something to help Jed and his family, and it was decided to do fundraising on behalf of Jed.

Jed and his family have said that what he misses most of all is his independence. Since his surgery Jed has had to miss out on so many things: 18^th birthdays, being able to drive, playing soccer, Schoolies Week, and an end of year family graduation celebration trip that was planned for the USA that can no longer take place. Keon organised a GoFundMe page for Jed. Would you believe, Deputy Speaker, that within 24 hours $14,000 had been raised for Jed on this GoFundMe page?

I also learned at a Henley High School governing council meeting last week that two impressive young women from the student representative council reported to the governing council on several matters, one being that the student fundraising activity on behalf of Jed at that time—a week ago—stood at $21,000.

I want to finish off where I started. There are many incredible young people who are doing extraordinary things on behalf of their community in a variety of areas. In my view our future looks bright. These same young people will grow to be amazing adults who will, through their contribution, make their world, our world, a better place through their endeavours.

I want to thank those people—and there are many, many of them—who support our young students and citizens in achieving the outcomes they seek. Our future is certainly in good hands. I would just like to mention that those in this chamber who would like to contribute to this worthy cause can go to gofundme.com/fundraising-for-jed. I urge you to have a look at that page and consider contributing to this worthwhile cause.