State of the Future youth forum
Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:52): Recently Parliament held the State of the Future youth forum. I was lucky enough to speak with the attendees, and it reassured me that the kids are coming. The report from this forum includes a bunch of excellent recommendations on many important topics. These young people recommended that we hold an inquiry into housing affordability in Victoria and implement rent freezes for young people: check. I am happy to be on the committee that is investigating renting and housing affordability in Victoria and happy to be pushing hard for the government to freeze rents. Other recommendations were that we should adopt a more casual and relatable approach when consulting with young people and communicating the workings of Parliament; engage with young people outside Parliament House in spaces familiar to them; increase the use of social media platforms as tools for connecting with young people; and provide young people with a window into Parliament, fostering an understanding of what it is like to be an MP and normalising politics. To these I would say, ‘I gotcha.’ I appreciate that this place can be stuffy and seems to be filled with a lot of older folks making decisions that will impact our lives without really listening to what is important to us. It is time to change this. I want this Parliament to be a place that elects and listens to young people.