'We have to be political'
Against the background of escalating attacks on youth people's rights by governments and the media, Resistance members SARAH PEART and WENDY ROBERTSON last week spoke to a range of students at Sydney University about how they feel about the federal election campaign.
Question: What are your impressions of the federal election campaign so far?
Ali: I think the whole focus on the GST has been to distract people from thinking about the issues that have come up over the last year or so — like the Maritime Union dispute, native title, Jabiluka and the new environmental legislation. These have just been smothered. A lot of this is because the right-wing media has refused to cover these issues.
Greg: It's becoming another slag-fest between the two main parties. It's all going nowhere. There are no new ideas. Many people become alienated and don't believe in voting.
The whole system is falling in on itself. Kakadu is the perfect example. As Mirrar spokesperson Jacqui Katona said, if you can't stop a uranium mine from going ahead in a World Heritage Area — and the majority of Australians and the traditional owners are opposed to it — then how much say can you have? People just feel isolated.
Luis: I come from Chile where a tax similar to the GST is already applied. I saw prices steadily go up. Lots of poor people can't afford basic items like food and clothes.
Marina: It's easy to see why young people feel so alienated by the political process. If you're under 18, you don't have a right to vote. And even if you can vote, what kind of a choice is there?
The two major parties basically implement similar pro-business policies. This is evident in the tax debate where neither party is serious about implementing a progressive tax system in which people pay according to what they can afford. They are not calling for an increase in taxes on the rich.
Both major parties are not serious about stopping environmental destruction, racism or unemployment.
This is why politics shouldn't only be about voting at election time, but should be about participation in grassroots movements and campaigns. For people to have a real say in how society is run, we need to take our politics to the streets.
Question: Why do you think One Nation has gathered support among some sections of society?
Vanessa: I've met quite a lot of people who support One Nation. They say: "Well, we're sick of the Liberals, we're sick of Labor, we're sick of the mainstream parties. We may as well vote for someone different who is going to stand up for Australia." I think people are just sick of the shit-fight between politicians.
Ali: I think there are a lot of disillusioned voters — many people who once voted Labor now don't see it as an alternative to the Liberals. One Nation for some people seems to offer something different, a new voice. This is really scary because I would have liked to have seen an alternative be a party like the Greens.
Luis: There is just too much rhetoric between the major parties. Young people are bored of it — all those old men just talking, talking, talking. People become apolitical. But, that is what the mainstream parties want, because then it is easy for them to maintain the status quo.
We have to be political. It is really important to talk to people, to educate people about issues. In Chile, we have a party like the ALP in government. It is not part of the solution but part of the problem. Its leaders says things are going to get better, that they are going to do this and that — we've been waiting for all these things to happen for nine years and nothing's happened.
So what can you do? You have to become interested, you have to become political and you have to participate.
Marina: For many people, One Nation offers easy "solutions" by scapegoating migrants and Aborigines for the problems people are angry about — unemployment and poverty and lack of welfare services.
This is what Hanson is doing when she calls for all Aboriginal funding to be cut: blaming the most disadvantaged to remove blame from the perpetrators of the problems, those in power who serve the interests of the capitalists. The wealthy class benefits when working people are divided. That's why they promote racism.
One way young people's can show their anger at the parliamentary process is at the national "Vote with your feet against Hanson" protests being organised by Resistance on September 30. They will be a great opportunity for people to have their voices heard and to stand up for what they believe.