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are lacking a comprehensive understanding of what the parties have
actually achieved in the past few years, and what, if anything, binds
each party’s policy ideas together into a narrative.
Our policy proposals seem haphazard and out-of-the-blue in
many cases. There is generally little explanation or background
given to each idea. Maybe this is just the cynicism cultivated by the
negativity of the politicians themselves that’s talking, but each
proposal seems more of a targeted incentive designed to appeal to a
particular demographic of voters rather than a real game-changer in
Australia’s future. The fact that every politician and their dog seems
to suddenly care about the problems of the swinging electorate of
western Sydney is clear evidence of this. As is Abbott’s paid parental
leave scheme, which many analysts believe is directly designed to
counteract Abbott’s poorer approval ratings among women. It was
intended to appeal to the female demographic, but it has also had its
fair share of critics, who claim it is unsustainably expensive.
2
Put
bluntly: there is not much in the way of a connective narrative to the
major parties’ policies; they only seem to present geographically-
specific ‘visions’ full of expedient ideas.
Given the fact that we currently have a minority government,
politicians cannot be criticised too harshly for trying tomaximise their
votes with each policy proposal. However, by lacking meaningful
narrative for the future of Australia, they are inadvertently damaging
their votes with young people. Young people are generally seen as
more idealistic, hopeful, and optimistic than middle-aged to older
adults. Brought up looking forward to the future and the
opportunities that they will be given, many of themwant to be a part
of bringing about change in which they believe, as they finally –
being young adults – have the power to do so. Hence, they tend to
identify themselves with organisations and groups that have clear
visions and objectives. The Australian Youth Climate Coalition
(AYCC)
, for example, has over 70,000 members, all young
Australians wanting to take action on climate change. That’s more
than double the national membership of the Australian Labor Party.
3
Support for the Greens is also generally highest among young voters
4
.
While this is in part due to the fact that young people commonly
have more socially progressive values than the majority of the
electorate, it is also because the Greens have a narrative. Their policy
proposals connect together in a meaningful way that reflects their
Major
Australian
Political
Parties Need A
Vision For The
Future In Order
To Engage
Young Voters.
Discuss.
12
2
Tanja Kovac,
‘Abbott’s paid parental
leave at mercy of right-
wing lobby’,
The Age
,
May 9, 2013
3
Michael Short,
‘Voters have the chance
to swing the nation in
the right direction’,
The
Age
, April 14, 2013
4
Data from
‘Youth Federal Election
Voting Intentions’ by
Dr Ron Broker, The
Whitlam Institute at the
University of Western
Sydney, June, 2011