I’m a first-time voter. I think this country should reflect on what it proclaims to be

If I was prime minister for a day, I would first assure Australian citizens that I would serve them out of love and care. Acknowledging our country’s blessings, I would use our resources to help as many people as possible. I want to build more of a community culture in Australia, focusing on collective values rather than individualistic values.

A total of 122,000 people or nearly one in 200 were homeless on the 2021 census night – a 5.2 per cent increase from 2016. I find it distressing that 23 per cent of those people were between 12 and 24 years old – children and young people, some of the most vulnerable in our community. Another 20 per cent identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Homelessness in Australia is most often a result of fleeing domestic violence, substance abuse, the effects of trauma, low education, disabilities and mental health issues, which makes it hard to maintain employment and secure stable housing.

A rough sleeper beneath the viaduct at Wentworth Park in Glebe. Homelessness is a growing problem in Australia.Credit: James Brickwood

Structural factors such as lack of affordable housing, unemployment, isolation, broken families and inadequate income support are also affecting homeless people.

I would work with people experiencing homelessness to figure out solutions. Those in need of rehab would be rehabilitated, those in need of money would be given jobs or loans. For those simply in need of a physical place to call home, we would do our best to provide this either in hotels or in houses currently unoccupied, or in homes of those willing to share in the rebuilding of lives.

It is my prayer that people in Australia who are well-off would sacrifice comfort, money and time to help fellow vulnerable Australians.

My heart goes out to refugees who approach Australia with hope of a new life, safe from the terrors of war, poverty and oppression. In 2023, 53 per cent of asylum applications were rejected. We are a country of prosperity, whose anthem proclaims “our land abounds in nature’s gifts, of beauty, rich and rare”.

I think as a country we should reflect on who we proclaim to be, and whether rejecting 53 per cent of these applications was adhering to the values in our anthem. As prime minister, I would maximise use of our boundless plains to ideally welcome all refugees and otherwise invest in resources to build appropriate infrastructure to facilitate welcoming refugees, rich with knowledge and culture, who are willing to share with and learn from our nation.

Young people are concerned about the environment. I would make more of an effort in all levels of society to push not just awareness but solutions. I would prioritise preserving nature’s beauty around us is a major priority, protecting the green spaces in city development and urban areas, regulating national parks, implementing “umuganda” (coming together in common purpose) for Australians to take more time, an hour each week, cleaning up litter and waste in our communities. There would be more investment in production of solar panels to create renewable energy sources available to individual homes, an increase in nuclear research and safety precautions, especially the long-term management of radioactive waste, to unlock another of our country’s rich resources.

It seems wealthier people in society do not get taxed in a way that is proportional to those with lower incomes. I would like to alleviate the imbalance as I believe that those who have more to contribute to society should do so to help those who have less, and it is more than likely they will still have plenty left over for themselves. This is not an act of contempt for those blessed with more money than others, but simply a way to hopefully lessen the growing gap between rich and poor.

Globally, one in seven children and adolescents experience a mental illness, which is honestly not shocking to me. In my social groups, I am constantly confronted by the prevalence of mental illnesses in young people, experiencing the effect of it personally and observing it in those around me. As a young person, it is hard to know how to help friends who are suffering, as we are given the responsibilities of adults without the ability to make decisions for ourselves. Counselling services and psychologists for young people need to be better equipped and more accessible to reach individually. Mental illness is a constant, but the increasing rates lead me to believe it is because of social media that my generation suffers so much, which leads me to encourage leaders to ban social media for under-18s at least.

The author thinks social media should be banned for the under-18s.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Parents often have to make hard decisions on behalf of their kids to protect them. I encourage leaders to have the boldness to make this call, despite the inevitable backlash. Social media has no positive effects that outweigh the truly detrimental effects. Any argument from adolescents is clouded by naivety. I truly believe that without social media, mental health issues would be reduced. Extreme measures must be taken for extreme situations.

I would create organisations to rehabilitate ex-prisoners back into society. It is also interesting to look at the growing incarceration rates – from 168 adults per 100,000 in 2012 to 208 per 100,000 in 2024, an increase of 24 per cent in only 12 years. Prisoners are not necessarily innocent, butthe disadvantages many have faced – which does not excuse, but can explain what they have done – should also be considered. Leaving them without care on release from prison allows this vicious cycle to continue. After serving their sentence, they deserve an opportunity to make up for their mistakes with a positive contribution to society.

Caitlyn Dunkley is a year 12 student in a NSW school.

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