Youth will finally outnumber Baby Boomers for the first time at federal election

A huge shift is now taking place across the nation – and it is about to shake up our country forever.

OPINION

In a year full of political upheaval, the upcoming election will see an unprecedented amount of young, first-time voters dominate the polling booths.

For the first time, Gen Z and Millennials will outnumber Baby Boomers.

Gen Z and Millennials now make up 47 per cent of the electorate, while Boomers are about 33 per cent.

This monumental shift in voter demographics signals not only a numerical shift, but also highlights the generational divide that demands significant attention and action from those vying for a place in office.

As we inch closer to the election, the question remains – what issues should the government focus on to ensure the voices of young Australians are prioritised?

As a self-proclaimed “zillennial” whose music tastes span from the likes of Ms Lauryn Hill and the Cranberries to G Flip and Docheii, and who is the proud owner of the title “political nerd” in my friend group, the upcoming Australian federal election fills me with excited anticipation and pessimistic dread.

Our social media feeds are oversaturated with news articles detailing all of the horrors occurring nationally and worldwide.

As we inch closer to election day, a huge shift is taking place and it’s leaving a huge question on many voters’ lips around the nation.

We mask our terror by trying to educate ourselves, subscribing to daily newsletters and listening to podcast episodes and telling mates that we “read an article” when really we’re referring to a TikTok we saw.

As young adults trying to navigate a world full of opportunities and often juggling multiple responsibilities – work, study, caring duties et cetera – it can be easy to simply dismiss the overwhelming news cycle and switch off from politics altogether, but we need to stay engaged to ensure our issues are being taken seriously.

As the Chair of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, I have the privilege of representing the 4.7 million young people in this country and regularly meet with local, state and federal representatives to make sure that the voices of young Australia are heard where important decisions are being made.

I hear stories and anecdotes from young people from all walks of life and draw on my own lived experience as a rural kid with proud mixed heritage (Fijian and First Nations) to advocate for the inclusion of youth voices in this election.

Youth voices need to be included in this election. Picture: Brendan Radke

Despite the predicted surge in voter participation, there remains a significant gap between the issues young voters care about and the policies that are prioritised by those in power.

It’s no secret that the Australian government has been slow to address the priorities of the younger generations, particularly when it comes to addressing intergenerational inequality, the climate crisis, economic inequality and social justice issues.

But I want politicians to note that these issues aren’t peripheral to young voters, they’re paramount to their futures.

Young Australians are consistently faced with growing economic inequality, employment instability and out-of-reach housing prices.

Metropolitan areas such as Sydney and Melbourne are becoming increasingly unaffordable for homeowners, forcing young people into an unstable rental market.

This, compounded with the rising cost of living, wages not competing with inflation and rising interest rates, means economic pressures have become a daily concern.

Housing affordability is a real issue. Picture: News Corp Australia

Loaded with an ever-growing HECS debt for my degree in librarianship (yes, you need a degree to be a librarian), I have long given up on the dream of homeownership.

As a young renter with a stable, full-time job, looking at my monthly budget fills me with dread.

With rising costs of basic necessities like cheese and bread, my weekly shopping bill fluctuates faster than my yearly KPI increase, leaving me to resort to cheap meals like two-minute noodles and a soup packet.

I am nothing if not resourceful and can make bulk meal prepping stretch multiple days, but some days it’s not enough.

The Climate Crisis is arguably one of the defining issues dominating the minds and conversations of young people.

For the first time, Millenials and Gen Z will outnumber Boomers. Picture: iStock

We have lived through flood, fire, drought and famine with no concrete solutions to these issues in sight.

Rather than proactively working towards ensuring Australia meets global targets and investing in research to protect our sunburnt country, the Australian government instead insists on only providing reactive measures that are insufficient.

Living in the Central West of NSW, I have witnessed every act of God imaginable.

Flood, fire, plague and drought have dominated weekly conversations with colleagues and neighbours. We religiously check weather apps and frantically update Facebook for any warnings issued by the local council.

Flood, fire, plague and drought have dominated weekly conversations with colleagues and neighbours. Picture: News Corp Australia

Young Australians want to see bold and aggressive policies that tackle these issues head on, including providing a pathway to increasing renewable energy, stricter emissions regulations and proactive natural disaster prevention and recovery measures.

Constantly living in the midst of reoccurring “one in 100 year floods” or multiple “unprecedented” dry seasons is exhausting.

The rising cost of education and overwhelming burden of exorbitant student loans is a major contributing factor to wealth inequality in this country.

While the HECS program has allowed many Australians to access education, it has left them with crippling debt that greatly affects their current financial status and the inability to save for the future.

Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese need to think of Australia's youth this election. Picture: Supplied

Wiping out student loan debts isn’t enough.

The Australian government must prioritise making tertiary education more accessible through increased vocational training, funding centralised study hubs for those in rural and regional areas and offering alternative pathways that identify any prior work experience and provide holistic support for those from marginalised backgrounds.

So how do we tackle these issues?

We need to ensure that young people feel empowered and valued to actively contribute to decision-making in practical ways. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to youth participation.

The Australian government should encourage active participation in civic engagement through lowering the voting age, national civic education programs and offering young Australians the chance to participate in meaningful discussions with tangible outcomes.

This election offers a unique opportunity for the government to effectively engage an untapped cohort of voters.

Young people are not asking for handouts.

We are demanding that the Australian government take us seriously and help us to build a liveable future that is co-designed by us.

Stassi Austin is the chairperson of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition board

Originally published as Youth will finally outnumber Baby Boomers for the first time at federal election