By Matt Wilson
ADELAIDE — As part of the government-sponsored TakeOver '97 Australian Festival for Young People, the Capital City Congress was held over three days to involve young people in a discussion on the future of Australian society.
Three forums addressed the broad topics of Whose Australia?; The Future of the Land; and What Government? Opening speaker, Premier John Olsen, explained to the audience of mainly school children that the government is participatory, "it's you and me".
"Every person over 18 can and should run for parliament", Trish White, state shadow minister for youth affairs, told the conference. Other speakers asserted that the possibilities for change were in the hands of the young and urged them to consider a career in parliament.
This often repeated idea that "our style" of democracy encouraged public participation in politics through standing for election, failed to address the financial, logistical and social realities for young people.
The discussion centred around constitutional issues, in particular the debate around the republic and the Australian flag. Social issues that affect young people were ignored. The discussion did, however, note that the Union Jack is a symbol of genocide and oppression by the British government, which led to a discussion of the need to acknowledge Aborigines' experience of invasion.
Ngarrindjeri activist Muriel Van der Byl, explained that her people's traditional system of government was "a communist system in the truest sense of the word, completely democratic", with no distinction between those at the top and the bottom of society.
When Sam King, a Resistance member, explained that the government of Australia often acted without the approval of the people and was not, therefore, democratic, federal MP Christopher Pyne, representing Amanda Vanstone at the forum, shouted "Remove him. Get him off!" King continued to speak however, and drew a lot of applause from the audience.