“Condemning young people to a life of climate disasters:” 21-year-old interrupts PM’s youth mental health announcement

8th April 2025

SYDNEY - 21-year-old climate protestor from Rising Tide, Alexa Stuart this morning interrupted Anthony Albanese’s at Ashfield Headspace whilst he was announcing a 1 billion dollar increase in funding to support youth mental health.

During the press conference, she interjected: "Mr Albanese, you say you care about young people — and yet since getting elected your government has approved 33 new coal and gas projects! “

She continued to yell as she was dragged out by security: “You’re condemning young people like me to a life of climate disasters — of course we have poor mental health issues! When will you listen to young people? When will your government stop approving new coal and gas projects?”

Mr Albanese urged the media not to engage saying “it only encourages them.”

After the protest, Ms. Stuart said in a press conference: “What I wanted to do today was to draw attention to the hypocrisy of our government, who on one hand says they care about young people, yet on the other are continuing to fuel the climate crisis by approving new coal and gas projects.

“As a young person, I feel so angry and upset. I have experienced eco-anxiety since I have been fifteen. I am worried that my future will be full of increased floods, fires, famine and drought and I know that the number one driver of that is the continued approval of new coal and gas projects.”

Minutes before the interruption, at that very press conference, University of Melbourne psychiatrist Professor Patrick McGorry said climate change was one of the “megatrends” that are conspiring to make the lives and futures of young people much “more challenging and pessimistic”. A survey of 17,480 young Australians released last year found that one in five young people said that climate change impacts their thinking, feelings or behaviour.

This is the seventh time that Rising Tide has interrupted press conferences from the leaders of both major parties in the last few weeks. They’ve posed questions to Opposition leader Peter Dutton and Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor about the viability of their nuclear energy plans, and have asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers when Labor will stop approving new coal and gas projects.

See more footage on photos on Rising Tide’s Facebook, Instagram, X and Bluesky

Media contact: 

Alexa: 0423 361 030