Page 912 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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Similarly, one of the women highlighted that perpetrators are not bad people. That is really something to think about. People are not all bad; they are a combination of good and bad. If we focus on the good parts there can be room for hope and, hopefully, room for change.
I congratulate these women and the other women who are voices for change—Michelle, Monique and Teyarna—for summoning the courage to speak out. All these women are clear and articulate voices for change. I also congratulate Mirjana Wilson and Frances Crimmins from DVCS and YWCA for thinking outside the square and supporting these survivors to find and express their voice to us. They were definitely more powerful together. I am hopeful that this project will contribute to the change we need to see for women and their children to live free from the experience or fear of such violence.
School strike for climate change
MS ORR (Yerrabi) (6.49): I rise tonight to show my support for the students who participated in the nation-wide school strikes for climate change. I was humbled to join the hundreds of primary and secondary school students who gathered at Garema Place last Friday bearing banners and signs calling out the federal government on their inaction on addressing climate change.
I felt proud to stand alongside these students and to show my support for all of the young people who are setting the agenda on the debate on climate change policy. It is often assumed that young people are uninterested in politics. However, I can say with absolute certainty that this is not true. Our young people are politically engaged. They are well informed and they are determined to make a difference for their future by demanding action on climate change. I believe that deserves to be commended.
One of my favourite signs from the rally read, “You are never too important to listen to a 12-year-old girl.” I believe young people should have a voice in the climate change discussion, and it is crucial to listen to what they have to say. It was a pleasure to see a number of students show real leadership skills taking to the stage to speak so passionately about the issue of climate change.
Unfortunately, a number of statements have been made by conservative commentators and members of the Canberra Liberals that have attempted to dismiss young people from the climate change debate entirely, most notably Ms Lee’s accusation in an ABC interview last Friday suggesting that students are “being driven by their teachers or parents”. That shows how completely out of touch she and the opposition are when it comes to the issues facing young people.
Ms Lee’s comments point out the Liberal Party’s failure to understand the legitimate concerns that so many Australians have when it comes to addressing the urgent issue of climate change. It is grossly unfair for Ms Lee to suggest that these students are being used as what she described as political pawns. In the current climate change debate these comments downright disregard the capacity of young people to develop constructive views that contribute to this debate. As the shadow education and environment spokesperson Ms Lee’s comments are unacceptable and do not reflect the interests of primary and secondary students in the ACT.
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