Statements by Senators – Youth and Contemporary Issues, Wednesday November 29, 2023
Senator BABET (Victoria—United Australia Party Whip) (13:48): Are we really surprised at how confused children are these days? Consider some things that we’ve told them. We’ve told them that Greta Thunberg is an expert. We’ve allowed a Swedish schoolgirl to lecture everyone and even berate world leaders at the UN as if she was some kind of authority. No wonder kids are confused.
We’ve told young people that Dylan Mulvaney is a girl. We’ve told them that Dylan is a girl because he says he’s a girl. No wonder kids are confused.
We’ve told young people that Stan Grant is somehow oppressed. He’s a journalist who’s reached the pinnacle of his industry, but because he’s Aboriginal we’ve told kids he’s oppressed anyway. No wonder the kids are confused.
We’ve told young people that Joe Biden is a competent leader of the free world. The guy can’t walk up or down stairs or string two words together. No wonder kids are confused.
We’ve told them that Bill Gates is a public health and vaccination expert. No wonder kids are confused. We’ve told young people that the Greens are environmentalists, when in reality they have more in common with Marxists. No wonder kids are confused.
A few decades from now, when you and I, Madam Acting Deputy President Grogan, are in our old age, we’ll be looking at these young people whose sense of reality is completely twisted, who unfortunately will be making decisions on our behalf, and we’ll throw up our hands in despair and ask each other, ‘How did this generation become so confused?’
