Youth speak up in Wollongong

Issue 

By Sue Humphries

WOLLONGONG — Wollongong Resistance had no hesitation in recommending that young people vote for Greens or the Democratic Socialists in last weekend's federal election. This recommendation was announced at a Resistance-sponsored Youth Speakout here on Monday March 8.

Wollongong Resistance Organiser Sarah Harris told Green Left, "We had reached this opinion after surveying all candidates in the local federal seats of Cunningham and Throsby. The survey asked questions on living standards, the environment, government spending, health and human rights. By far the best response was from the two Green candidates and the Democratic Socialist, Margaret Perrott."

The speakout was part of a National Day of Action on youth rights organised by Resistance, and a response to the lack of attention paid to youth issues in the election campaign. A much-publicised youth summit had been held earlier, but this "proved to be a frustrating experience for the few young unemployed people who attended", Harris said.

The summit was heavily promoted by local business and media and was chaired by the ABC's Peter Couchman. "Most candidates and business representatives present dominated the discussion with waffle, except for the two Green candidates, who made positive comments on living standards and environmentally sustainable job creation for young people.

"One recommendation from some was that young people do voluntary work. This was loudly condemned by most young people present, who wanted real jobs with full wages!

"In reward for our perseverance" Harris said, "we each received a McDonald's food voucher and a Pepsi. It was revealed later that, as well as sponsoring the Youth Summit, McDonald's was also donating their prepaid advertising space on the sides of bus shelters and their key front page space on the weekly newspaper for the Liberal candidate for Cunningham. Perhaps the $3 per hour youth wage and deregulation policies of the Liberals prompted this support? We responded to this by distributing a leaflet at the Summit headed 'It's McLiberal Time'."

Young people at the speakout also had the opportunity of placing their demands on a postcard addressed to the future prime minister. "About 50 high school students and other young people took the opportunity to call for such things as the legalisation of marijuana, a woman's right to choose abortion, protection of the environment, freedom of speech, land rights, a fair say for high school students and no GST. The free speech demand was particularly relevant when we were asked to remove the word 'fuck' from the postcard by the police."

Harris said that the candidate survey revealed how unaware most h issues. "Even relatively progressive parties like the Democrats have a long way to go. The Democrat candidate for Cunningham felt the issue of night curfews for young people was an issue for parents and local councils and that young people should be home at a 'reasonable' hour."

While making recommendations to young people on how to vote, the speakout "stressed that politics needed to go beyond parliament and back onto the streets, into the schools and campuses to demand rights for young people — especially as all young people under 18 are excluded from the so called democratic process".

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