Newdegate's Trey Westlake speaks on Labor's shortfalls on regional issues at 2025 Y WA Youth Parliament
It was Trey Westlake's second consecutive year in the Youth Parliament. He stepped up as shadow minister for agriculture, food and fisheries as a member for Roe at the Legislative Assembly in Perth, on July 7-10.
The 16-year-old introduced the producer resilience and recovery insurance scheme on behalf of his eight regional committee members. It would establish a State-run insurance scheme to cover damage costs caused by natural disasters for primary producers to claim, which was unanimously passed.
As a first-time shadow minister, his ministerial speech highlighted that the recent State Budget dedicated no funding, processing infrastructure support, a workforce transition plan or farmer assistance for the live export transitioning, despite the WA Government stating they disapproved of the ban.
Trey's private member statement discussed 'the current Government's lack of meaningful investment' in the Roe electorate, underlining poor phone reception, unreliable power and frequent outages, inadequate road quality, education and health care.
'The people of Roe aren't asking for handouts. They are simply asking for respect, investment and support,' he said.
Royalties for Regions, which started in late 2008, drove his adjournment debate. The scheme promised that 25 per cent of WA's mining and resource royalties would be reinvested into regional communities, but Trey said in 2017 the fund had been 'dismantled and reallocated'.
He said the royalties are now used to fund programs that would have been paid for by consolidated revenue, 'that's not regional investment, that's a government padding its books to claim a $2 billion surplus'.
The Year 11 student said he returned to the program because he was determined for policymakers to hear regional people, shedding light on key issues and perspectives.
This year's event recorded one of Youth Parliament's highest regional numbers with 12 of the 59 participants aged 15-25 travelling from outside the metropolitan area.
Trey also got the opportunity to deliberate central discussion points with MLA Peter Rundle and three training days on April 26, May 24 and June 21 to learn about committee rules, amendments and a general overview.
Mr Rundle said that 'we need good young leaders in our society' and it was important to cater for all generations and connect with the new wave of younger voters.
'I'm really lucky to have someone like Trey who is keen and interested and it's great to have him be part of (Youth Parliament),' he said.
'He's got a very good handle on how people in the regions and agricultural industry feel, and living with his family in the bush and having gone to school in the regions, he understands the challenges as well.'
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- News.com.au
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