"The best thing you can do is to find a community that is welcoming and inclusive – Youth Parliament is exactly that for me."

Matthew is bright, community-minded and articulate. The 17-year-old talks enthusiastically about his interests in transport, urban planning and history, and his experiences of Youth Parliament so far – but he wasn’t always this way.

“I was diagnosed with autism when I was two,” Matthew said. “The doctors said I would never be able to have a conversation with anyone else. I was non-verbal until I was four and had speech difficulties for many years. But I was listening, and it made me passionate about being a voice for the voiceless.”

Matthew’s first contact with the Y NSW was as a nine-year-old through swimming lessons. Last year, a chance encounter with a girl from school inspired him to apply for Youth Parliament, the Y’s flagship youth leadership and engagement program.

“I’ve always been very passionate about my community, disability advocacy, and politics in general – I get that from my grandfather who was heavily involved in politics before I was born. I had Youth Parliament on my radar for about a year before I applied. I got Mum to write a letter to check it would be accessible and inclusive, I applied and was accepted – and the rest is history,” he said.

For more than 20 years, Youth Parliament has given senior high school students the chance to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and draft youth policies to debate during a mock sitting week in NSW Parliament House with Members of Parliament invited to chair.

While Matthew has been speaking to politicians and policymakers for many years as a citizen, his life experiences left him unable to imagine representing people with disability in a formal way. Youth Parliament has helped him recognise his leadership potential and gave him the courage to stand for an elected leadership position at Youth Parliament Training Camp.

“When I’d tried to run for SRC or leadership at school, I would get told: ‘no, you cannot run because you wouldn’t get a single vote, no-one would support you at all.’ So, it was risky to run for a leadership position for Youth Parliament,” said Matthew.

“At first, I was a little bit shy because of my experiences back in high school. During my lunch break, I’d stand in the Mess Hall looking around for people to chat with. I had some amazing support from the Y, which I’m very grateful for,” he said.

With the help of his Dad, John, and Hannah, the Y’s Disability Inclusion Coordinator, Matthew finished his 60-second leadership speech in 40 minutes. He delivered it first, explaining to his peers that he didn’t speak until he was older but he was always listening, and this experience helped him to understand the importance of speaking up for people who didn’t have a voice.

“I didn’t get any sleep that night because they were announcing results the next day. The next morning, they announced I would be Youth Deputy Premier. A lot of people wanted it,” he said.

“It is such a huge honour – it hasn’t always been something I thought I’d be able to achieve. And it has taken a lot of effort to get to the position I am in today. I’m very grateful to be a part of it and contributing to our society.”

Mum, Emma, said it has been beautiful to see Youth Parliament giving Matthew a platform to flourish after his tough experiences at school. She also commends the Y’s commitment to making the program inclusive for her son.

“Matthew is intelligent and passionate, and wanted a good education,” she said. “He wanted to be at school in a safe environment where he could learn, but he had to transfer schools eight times because of bullying. We eventually chose to home-school.

“He got into Youth Parliament to serve the community but he’s found a community. He’s met other people who are interested in politics. He’s found his tribe. The very things he was bullied for helped him find where he fits. He has people who value him and his dedication to helping people.

“What has been so brilliant is how the Y has worked closely with me behind the scenes. They’ve made a lot of effort to make sure Matthew had the supports he’s needed – they wanted this to work too. With 170 applications, it would have been easier to choose someone else. Hats off to them, because they’ve extended themselves and I really hope more organisations do the same,” Emma said.

It’s Matthew’s lived experiences that prompted him to suggest the Education and Training Committee draft a Youth Bill about the Y NSW’s Alternative Suspension program, which he’d heard about at the Y NSW’s online Youth Leadership Forum in April. The one-on-one intervention program lasts a few days and doesn’t leave young people isolated and unsupported at home like traditional suspension.

“I wanted to make the kind of Youth Bill that would have helped me and would help others who are really struggling in the education system right now. A lot can’t go to school anymore or they get harassed and don’t know if they’ll get back home – they’re getting physically attacked and some are having suicidal thoughts.

“In the program, they keep up with their schoolwork, so they don’t fall behind, receive mental health and diagnostic support, and have a reintegration meeting. It’s only in two sites now but I think we need this permanently in our system.

“In our first meeting to decide what our Youth Bill would be about, I said: ‘what about one about an alternative to a suspension system’ and we were all in universal agreement,” he said.

The committee’s work on the bill to embed the program across the system is in full swing. Emma says the mentorship her son receives in the program is ‘every parent’s dream’. Youth Parliament isn’t about having something good to put on a resume, it’s given Matthew opportunities to contribute to something he is truly passionate about.

“Matthew truly listens, he understands what it’s like not to have a voice and not be represented. It’s just been amazing to watch him grow and be elected by peers who see who he is, without pretending and without prejudice. I’m so grateful to the Y for giving him this opportunity,” Emma said.

Like his Mum, Matthew is an advocate for Youth Parliament. He believes young people with disability are helping to make society better and is optimistic about the future, even if the draft Youth Bill isn’t picked up by the NSW Parliament when it’s presented this July.

“I won’t be getting a high school graduation, but Youth Parliament is a type of transition from childhood to young adulthood for me. It’s a point where I can use my experiences from when I was younger to help people in the future.

“Anything is possible if you are passionate about your community and what you believe in. The best thing you can do is to find a community that is welcoming and inclusive – Youth Parliament is exactly that for me.

“Contrary to popular belief, advocacy isn’t always palatable… or at least not always comfortable,” Matthew jokes. “But there are so many people around just like me and we are an untapped opportunity. I hope that in 50 years, people look back through history at this Youth Bill as the start of when people listened. I’d like to see more people thrive at school and be more welcoming and inclusive.

“Long-term, I want to in whatever way I can, help make society a better place. In any small way even if it’s helping one person. I don’t mind if I earn millions of dollars or zero dollars. I hope organisations read my story and think ‘this can work, we can accommodate people like Matthew and support them to thrive’.”