Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Youth. Minister, what are your plans and priorities for giving young Australians a real voice in government?

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Youth and Sport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parramatta for her important question and also for the very hard work that she does with local youth in her electorate. In responding to this question, can I first acknowledge that it would not be possible for me to be here outlining this government’s commitment to giving young people a voice, and then listening to it and acting upon it, if it were not for the leadership of the Prime Minister in re-establishing the position of a federal Minister for Youth. The position of federal Minister for Youth is, of course, one which was abolished by the former government. This is just the first example of the different approach that this government intends to take when it comes to youth representation.

We believe that young people play a vital role in our community, that they must be listened to and that their experiences and opinions must be included in the democratic process. Too often in this parliament we talk about the youth of Australia being this country’s future—and this of course is true—but what we must also recognise is the important role that young people play in the present and how their experiences, circumstances and opinions must be included in debates in this place. We must recognise that there is a generational divide, which is widening, amongst the Australian community. Generations coming through have different circumstances, different opinions and different concerns to those of previous generations. This is true when you look at the experiences of young people today in attaining first home ownership. It is also true when you look at the experiences of those who are entering adulthood already with hefty debts on their shoulders from their education. And it is also true when you look at concerns about issues like climate change. These are the people who will be experiencing the consequences of the actions that we take today.

In recognising all of these points, this government is acting to establish the Office for Youth. This office will have the role of examining all government priorities, all government policies going forward, so that we can make sure that across all of government the impact on young people will be considered in the policy-making process. In addition to establishing the Office for Youth, this government is also committed to delivering upon our election commitment to establish the Australian Youth Forum. This will be a body by which young people—a broad and diverse range of young people—can come together and talk directly to government about their views and concerns. This will operate all year round and will be an important way in which young people can speak directly to government and have those concerns addressed and responded to by all of our ministers. The Australian Youth Forum will also play the important role of providing a body of experts in youth policy and young people whom we will talk to directly about our priorities and how they will impact on their lives. These are some of the ways in which we will be giving young people a voice going forward.

As to the more immediate future, can I also say that I have been absolutely amazed by the number of people who have contacted me just in the last couple of months to talk about the impacts of the voluntary student unionism legislation which was introduced by the previous government. These concerns have come not just from students—and certainly students have been amongst that group—but also from vice-chancellors, sporting organisations, local councils and a whole range of people in the broader community. One of the things that I am embarking upon in the immediate future is to visit campuses throughout Australia to talk to the different stakeholders, assess the impacts of the damage caused by the VSU legislation and work with these stakeholders so we can ensure that students in Australia have the services and representation that they need on campus. Young Australians have been silenced for far too long. It is my great pleasure as the Minister for Youth to make sure that not only do they have a strong voice in government but also that it is listened to and responded to by this government.