An Indigenous teenager with political aspirations has been given a rare chance to influence legislation in Western Australia.

Kiya Gray, 18, from Carey Park in Bunbury, 170km south of Boorloo, was one of 59 people across the state selected as participants in the Y WA Youth Parliament program, and the only Indigenous member of the 2025 cohort.

Now in its 30th year, the program offers young people the rare opportunity to gain political leadership experience and pitch legislative bills which positively impact young people.

Each participant of the diverse Y WA cohort will represent a state electorate in WA, with Ms Gray representing the Collie-Preston electorate, in WA's south-west agricultural region, advocating for legislative change on behalf of young people.

The four-month Y WA Parliament program has evolved over the decades to become a genuine conduit to change, with many youth-focused policy suggestions from previous participants leading to real legislative change in the state.

The non-partisan leadership and civic engagement initiative was designed by Y WA to educate and encourage young people in advocacy for their communities, and recommend to Parliament policy changes the youths they represent would like implemented.

Ms Gray, a Wadandi woman, said she wanted to be a voice of change for others.

"I want to express my ideas and concerns, and contribute ideas with others that love to be involved as much as I do," she said.

"As a Noongar woman from Saltwater Country, it is important youth there have a voice."

Ms Gray said she was driven by a desire to see equality among all young people across WA.

"In my experience not all young people get opportunities or support like others do," she said.

"This could be because of financial problems, unstable homes, or parents and guardians that don't support them."

Ms Gray has already met some fellow program participants to discuss their training, which includes three full-day workshops and online meetings, where they draft, debate and advocate for mock youth-focused laws.

The program culminates in a live debate in the chambers of Parliament House across three days in July.

Their proposed bills are then formally presented for review and consideration to government and opposition members, the WA Governor and Perth Lord Mayor, as well as WA's Department for Communities.

Y WA chief executive Tim McDonald said participants gathered real insight on the workings of government and policy development, and become a voice for current issues affecting young people.

"Our intentions are always based around empowerment and giving young people a voice," Dr McDonald said.

"This program is truly representative of the views and concerns of the state's next generation of community leaders."

Y WA Youth Parliament participants have often been a step ahead of State Government legislative changes, with several of their proposed bills developed across the four-month program eventually becoming law.

In 2020, the Y WA Youth Parliament process ultimately resulted in the introduction of the ambitious Coercive Control Bill 2020, designed to extensively define coercive control, and included reforms to protect victims, hold perpetrators accountable and prevent coercive control.

In 2012 another proposed bill from participants to ban single-use plastic bags was implemented six years later, when the WA Parliament passed the Environmental Protection Amendment (Banning Plastic Bags and Other Things) Bill 2018, which led to a statewide ban.

Dr McDonald said the fact proposed bills participants had researched, developed, written and then debated in their Parliamentary sittings were later adopted as legislation across the country was evidence the voices of youths should be heard more.

"Our young people have a lot to say, and this program gives them a chance to speak up, be heard and in many cases, influence change," he said.

Dr McDonald urged past alumni to register interest in Y WA's 30-year celebrations and re-engage with other participants.

Additional information about the program and its upcoming 30-year milestone is available online.