Students help table report in Parliament

A group of 10 Aboriginal students from Hampton Senior High School and Kiara College helped me today to table a report in the WA Parliament that outlines the views and dreams of more than 1,200 WA Aboriginal children and young people.

This report is the culmination of more than 12 months’ work by my office to reach out to Aboriginal children and young people across WA and hear what they have to say about the things that are important to them, their dreams for the future, and the support they need to reach their goals.

Many of the students with me today took part in this consultation, and I was very pleased that they could be involved in tabling the report so that their views can be heard and considered by our 95 Members of Parliament, and the broader community.

After we tabled this important report, entitled “Listen To Us”: Using the views of WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to improve policy and service delivery, the students had the opportunity to meet with the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Peter Collier, and Lisa Baker MLA and Hon Robyn McSweeney MLC, the chair and deputy chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People, over afternoon tea and talk about their experiences.

Ensuring decision makers in our community have the opportunity to hear the views of Aboriginal children and young people is a key objective of the consultation, and I thank the Members for their time today.

Along with “Listen To Us”, I released two other community-focused reports from the consultation – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Speak Out and This is Me: Aboriginal young people’s stories.

One of the students at Parliament House with me today, 17 year-old Jay from Caversham, is one of the young people profiled in This Is Me, which showcases everyday role models for Aboriginal children and young people across WA.

Jenni Perkins
Acting Commissioner for Children and Young People