Page 3368 - Week 09 - Thursday, 22 August 2019
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That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
2018 ACT Youth Assembly Report—Government response.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Disability, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (2.56): I thank the Assembly for the opportunity to table in the Legislative Assembly today the ACT government response to the 2018 ACT Youth Assembly report. Members may recall that in September last year 116 young people participated in the ACT Youth Assembly which took place in this building. The ACT Youth Assembly provided young people with a platform to speak on issues that are important to them and ensured that a broad range of views were represented and heard.
The ACT Youth Assembly was a deliberative democratic process designed to draw out key ideas and policy recommendations. The goal was to encourage the direct participation of young Canberrans aged 12 to 25 in discussing four contemporary issues. These four issues, each of which had its own forum, were youth mental health, homeless and young people, youth civic participation and equality, and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Our ACT Youth Advisory Council members co-facilitated each forum to explore creative solutions for each issue. Through group work and discussions, participants explored the issues and developed recommendations across the four forums for the ACT government’s consideration.
The Youth Advisory Council compiled the 2018 ACT Youth Assembly report, which highlights the key information from the Youth Assembly, in particular the recommendations made by the young Canberrans who participated in the Assembly. These recommendations are those that our young people believe will help the ACT to meet the current and emerging needs of young people in our community. The report contains 29 recommendations across the four issues forums.
The youth mental health forum identified 10 recommendations to improve, promote and advocate on the health and wellbeing of young people. The homelessness and young people forum identified six recommendations to address systemic issues that drive and exacerbate youth homelessness for young people. The youth civic participation forum identified four recommendations on how government can better engage with young people on policy reforms and issues that directly impact young people. The equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people forum identified nine recommendations towards a more just and inclusive society for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in our community.
I believe the Youth Assembly provided a platform for young people in the ACT to engage with issues that affect them. We have seen genuine youth participation and expanded partnerships between young people, government and the community. The 2018 ACT Youth Assembly and the ACT government response to the report reflect our commitment to improve policy, services and programs for young Canberrans. As a result of the Youth Assembly, the ACT government can now direct resources,
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