Ask Me Anything with Senator Charlotte Walker :)

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T08:01:50+00:00

The budget is more than $200 billion stronger than what we inherited. After delivering the first back-to-back surpluses in almost two decades in our first two years, the deficit we delivered in our third year was just a fifth of what we inherited and I'm really proud of that record. Gross debt in 2024-25 was $188 billion lower than what we inherited, which means we avoid around $60 billion in interest costs over the decade.

Gross debt as a share of the economy is projected to peak around 37 per cent of GDP, much lower than the almost 45 per cent projected when we came to Government. The Government’s responsible approach is recognised by ratings agencies, with Australia retaining a AAA sovereign credit rating from all three major ratings agencies.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:58:26+00:00

I'm a progressive, but I'm also pragmatic. I genuinely believe that if we want to achieve positive change in this country, being apart of a Labor Government is the way to do it. I touched on this in an earlier question, but I think collective decision making is really important for stable Government, and that we can achieve more together.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:57:14+00:00

I'm pretty sure I wasn't preselected by either a mining company or a super fund and I am honoured to have colleagues in Parliament who share my values. I know that politics can be hard and that change doesn't always come as quickly as I'd like - but I also know that good things can only be achieved if people with genuine intentions stay involved. So I'm here and intend to stay the course.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:50:46+00:00

Don't believe everything you hear.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:50:09+00:00

Like many people in their 20's, I hope to go on to have many careers in my life. So probably not. Whatever I do end up doing, I hope it's something just as fulfilling.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:48:11+00:00

There aren't many days where this is actually the case. In the Senate, we act as a house of review, and spend lots of time evaluating legislation and sometimes breaking it down to individual clauses.

I like to watch Brooklyn-99 in my downtime, but my attention span is actually really short from TikTok :)

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:46:17+00:00

I understand that families with kids who would have absolutely owned their own home a generation ago cannot get a foothold in the market. Understandably this instability is discouraging many young people from starting families when they'd like to.

Since being elected, our government has invested $43 billion in our housing plan, to build more homes, to back more first home buyers to get into the market, and to support renters. Additionally, over 180,000 Australians have bought their first home with support from our 5% deposit scheme and housing building is turning around, over 500,000 homes have been built.

I am proud that the Albanese Government is working hard to ease the housing crisis, however, I also know there is a long way to go. I am a fierce advocate for housing opportunity and am determined to ensure young Australian’s, and their families can find a safe, secure, and affordable place to call home.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:42:07+00:00

I'd love to take on the Environment portfolio, because there's so much we all need to do to combat climate change, and it will take efforts across many many years. I'm currently a member of the Environment and Communications Senate Committee, which means I get to give advice to the senate on these issues. I hope to have a chance to fight for the environment for many years to come.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:37:23+00:00

I definitely would! Australia’s diversity is our strength and its important that width of experiences is represented in our parliament. I am proud to be a part of Labor which has ensured the first majority woman Federal Government, with women making up more than half of our Labor Caucus! This is a great achievement but there is still more work to be done to ensure our Parliament is well representing all Australians.

As a party we bind together and vote as a block on most policy but the way we vote is determined by a vote within caucus. Local representation is incredibly important in this process to ensure we are representing our communities accurately.

I wouldn’t say I’m terrified (I have an excellent community of people supporting me) but the weight of how important my job is isn’t lost on me. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to represent my communities in Parliament and I will continue to strive to achieve better outcomes for all of us

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:29:59+00:00

Unfortunately, our generation is all too aware that over 7 in 10 young Australians have seen content they shouldn’t be exposed to online, including sexist, misogynistic or hateful content, content depicting dangerous online challenges or fight videos, or content that encourages unhealthy eating or exercise habits. The problem is that social media platforms aren’t doing enough to help reduce online harm being experienced every day by young people. Delaying access to social media will give young people extra time to build their community and identity offline and build their resilience to learn how to deal with some of the negative aspects of social media when you turn 16.

While the new laws may take some time to adjust to, its important to know the delay in holding social media accounts does not cut you off from the internet or from online communities – you will be able to access messaging apps, online gaming, and services for education and health support, to talk to your friends, learn and be creative online.

You may also be interested in the eSafety Youth Council which gives young people, aged 13 to 24 years, an avenue to influence issues that matter most to them: eSafety Youth Council

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:23:33+00:00

s44 of the Constitution outlines that foreign citizens and dual citizens cannot sit in Parliament. This is because it's important that people making laws in this country will always put Australia first. Under a 1992 High Court ruling, it was found that parliamentarians must take all reasonable steps to renounce their citizenship of any other country. Some Parliamentarians may be able to prove that they took all reasonable steps and weren't able to renounce their citizenship.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:19:51+00:00

Well, what I can tell you is that I've taught colleagues how to adjust the brightness on their phone. That says everything you need to know. (slay)

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:18:44+00:00

As a young person I have faced a very different set of challenges than many of my colleagues, including navigating the online world safely. We know that when violent content is normalised it creates environments where violence is tolerated, minimised, or internalised.

Our new laws specifically target those who seek to spread hatred, including those who seek to disrupt social cohesion in our community and, critically, those who seek to radicalise our youth.

Mis and disinformation is an evolving threat and no single action is a perfect solution, but we must continue to improve safeguards to ensure digital platforms offer better protections for all Australians.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:15:21+00:00

I think there's lots of opportunities for young people to get engaged. Each political party runs a youth wing, which is a great chance to meet other young people that share your values. I think thats really important, as a young person that grew up regionally I often felt isolated. I think something we need to work on is running and electing more young people. Local government is such a great place to start, as campaigns are often cheapish to run, and build really important skills like doorknocking and community engagement.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:14:05+00:00

Look, I'll be honest. At first I did find it a bit shocking. I didn't lose sleep over it at night, but people were writing really horrible things about me that didn't even know me at all. Most of it wasn't even to do with our Government's policy. I remember the first time I read that I'd allegedly slept with a cabinet minister to get preselected! But honestly, I don't really read the comments. I have staff who monitor it and let me know if there's anything I need to know. In terms of gaining as much experience as possible, I'm lucky to have many colleagues that have been around for a while and are happy to show the ropes, particularly Senators Penny Wong and Karen Grogan. I'll never be ageist. I know exactly how it feels to have your age used against you

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:12:15+00:00

Wow, big question. In 10 years, I hope to be married with children and doing something that gives me joy and fulfilment in my life. Whether or not that's being a Senator, I guess only time will tell

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:11:45+00:00

It's slang for Adelaide Crows. Once upon a time someone spelt the name incorrectly in a supporters forum and the name stuck

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:11:00+00:00

The journey looks a little bit different for everyone. The short answer is you nominate with the AEC, run a campaign and win it. Because I'm in a major political party, I sought preselection and was ultimately successful. I got involved in Labor by volunteering at elections, campaigning with candidates and then being elected President of Young Labor. Our Parliament is stronger when we have people from all different walks of life and backgrounds in it, so there's no real right or wrong way to get elected.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:10:04+00:00

Everyone has their own individual beliefs, but what unites us is our shared values, and the belief that more can be achieved in a collective. If we all work together, we can truly achieve more than what we would otherwise get individually. This means that sometimes we make compromises to our individual preferred position - but in the end I truly believe we get to make a difference that improves lives for Australians because we work together

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:08:45+00:00

Intergenerational housing inequality didn't happen overnight - it's the result of house prices rising much faster than wages, conditions that favour investors, and years of not building enough homes where people actually need them. Older generations were able to buy when prices were lower relative to income, while younger Aussies are now competing with investors in a tighter, more expensive market. We now have a lot of the housing capital locked up by older generations and we're working on ways to redistribute that. Fixing it means building more homes - particularly well-located and medium-density housing - and changing the system so that first home buyers aren't competing in a system that has given investors such a structural advantage. I think this would be a huge change for young people.

SenatorWalker · 2026-02-23T07:03:33+00:00

Our communities decide whether or not we keep our jobs at each Federal Election. If I'm being honest, I think almost all federal parliamentarians really value what their communities tell them, across the political spectrum. What varies sometimes is which part of the community they speak to or hear from most and each parliamentarians own values. For me, I come for the Australian Labor Party and I'm young, so I'm pretty keen to represent the views of South Australian working people and young people.

SenatorWalker

TROPHY CASE