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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-09-08 Daily Xml
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SA Youth Week

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.S. Lee:

That this council—

1. Notes that SA Youth Week 2022 will be held over 10 days from Friday 13 May to Sunday 22 May 2022;

2. Recognises that there are over 266,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 24 years who live in South Australia;

3. Acknowledges the significant social, cultural, and economic contributions that young people make to our state; and

4. Commends the Marshall Liberal Government for developing the Strong Futures SA Youth Action Plan 2020-2022 to ensure that young people are engaged, active contributors as well as creating opportunities for learning and growth so that they can reach their full potential.

(Continued from 15 June 2022.)

The Hon. L.A. CURRAN (16:06): I rise today to speak in support of the Hon. Jing Lee's motion. As a young member in this parliament, I am interested in ensuring that young South Australians are given the opportunity and tools that they need to live fulfilling lives.

SA Youth Week is South Australia's largest celebration of young people aged 12 to 25. It is held over 10 days in May and recognises the ideas, talents and contributions of our youth. SA Youth Week includes a wide range of events and activities organised by and for young people. This year, these included the Youth Week launch party, a financial literacy workshop, a young mums' group, a women's self-defence class, among other things.

The important week aligns with the Connect and Grow priority of the previous Marshall Liberal government's Strong Futures SA Youth Action Plan, which was launched at SA Youth Week in 2020. The SA Youth Action Plan has four priority areas. The Hon. Jing Lee detailed these when she moved her motion, but I would like to take a moment to highlight the third priority area, being wellbeing and the environment, which aims to create a future where young South Australians can be safe, healthy and resilient.

In terms of wellbeing, it can be influenced by physical, mental, economic, social and cultural elements. Being R U OK? Day, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the importance of accessible mental health services. Beyond Blue states that half of all mental health conditions that are experienced will have started by age 14. When help is needed, it is important that young people have access to the right information, and to the support that they need when they need it.

Keeping young people safe and well mentally is critical to their positive wellbeing. In June 2021 The Advertiser reported that AMA SA President Dr Michelle Atchison said that psychiatrists and GPs across SA were still struggling to cope with mental health demand 15 months after the pandemic broke, and that the rolling impact of COVID-19 on mental health would be felt for years to come.

In addition to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health, there is also the current housing crisis in cost-of-living pressures that young South Australians must contend with. Finding work can be a problem for young South Australians with the unemployment rate of those aged between 15 and 24 being double the overall rate. In 2020, the National Youth Commission published a report that stated that:

Young people represent a disproportionate share of immediate and longer-term job losses, working in industries that were already characterised by precarious income and wage theft; in particular, hospitality, tourism and retail.

It is therefore now, more than ever, more important that we support our young South Australians. I commend the Hon. Jing Lee for bringing this motion to parliament, which takes the time to acknowledge the contributions that our young South Australians make to our community. I support this motion because I want to see the continuation of the great initiatives that were set forth in the Youth Action Plan by the former Marshall Liberal government.

I support this motion because I think it is important that we in this chamber should continuously strive to create a greater South Australia, with better opportunities to provide South Australians with the tools they need to lead fulfilling lives, that we strive for a South Australia where our youth are not looking over the border for opportunity but can stay right here to build their careers, to build their homes and to build their families. There is no better place than South Australia. I chose to make South Australia my home for these very reasons.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (16:10): I rise to speak on this motion regarding Youth Week. South Australian Youth Week is South Australia's biggest celebration of young people aged 12 to 25. This year, Youth Week was held over 10 days and was a recognition of young people's ideas, talents and contributions. It included a wide range of events and activities by and for young people.

I would like to touch on some of the diverse events that occurred across South Australia during Youth Week this year. The City of West Torrens hosted a car care workshop in conjunction with the RAA. This provided help with basic car maintenance, including changing a car tyre and oil checks. These are practical skills with long-term benefits. The Wattle Range Council hosted a series of free events, including laser tag in Mount Burr Forest. Salisbury council hosted The Hunt, a scavenger hunt that merges teambuilding and technology into a fun outdoor adventure.

The beauty of Youth Week is that it includes so many different kinds of events and engagement, from the practical to the simply fun. The Department of Human Services provided grants to 15 councils and organisations in regional and rural South Australia to ensure that every young person had the chance to engage. This year's Youth Week celebration included the exciting announcement by the Minister for Human Services about the opening of applications for her Youth Advisory Council.

The council will be a direct line of communication to the minister for young people to advocate on policies and programs. It will have its membership announced in the coming weeks and will be a key voice for young people across our state. The council will keep the minister informed on issues affecting young people and the youth sector, and will provide advice, support and representation across a variety of policy areas.

The Malinauskas Labor government is committed to investing in the future of young South Australians. Our aim is to ensure the contributions of young people are valued and understood by all South Australians and that their rights are promoted, upheld and protected. In particular, we know that young people have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health of young people has suffered. We are committing $50 million to employ 100 new mental health and learning support specialists to support school students across South Australia.

I am proud to be part of a government that is so committed to engaging young people in their futures. I would like to place on record our thanks to everyone involved in putting on Youth Week: the volunteers, staff and Department of Human Services. I look forward to hearing about the celebrations next year, which will no doubt be bigger and better.

In closing, I will be moving an amendment to the motion that simply removes the final paragraph. This paragraph seeks to commend the former Liberal government, and it is unfortunate that the opposition is again seeking to use a celebratory motion, in this case to use young people, as a way to pump up their own tyres. If they wanted help pumping up their tyres, they should have attended the car care workshop that I referenced earlier! I trust this council will join me in depoliticising this motion and simply acknowledging the importance of young people for a better future. I move:

Leave out paragraph 4.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:14): First of all, I would like to thank the Hon. Laura Curran for supporting the motion wholeheartedly and also thank her for sharing her important work experience as a young legislator. I cannot say a lot about the Hon. Clare Scriven. I just want to thank her for her contribution in terms of recognising young people socially, culturally and economically, but I am disappointed that the Labor government is attempting to remove the terms of reference about commending the Marshall Liberal government for developing the Strong Futures SA Youth Action Plan.

I know how the numbers count, so I will not call for a division, except to say this: I hope and urge the Malinauskas Labor government to continue the great initiatives that were set forth by the Youth Action Plan. I am hoping the Labor government will not lose sight of the fact that this Youth Action Plan will be a very significant initiative in shaping and providing a bright future for our ambitious young people. I still urge members to support the original terms of the motion, but I understand how the will of the chamber will work this afternoon.

Amendment carried; motion as amended carried.

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