People’s Cabinet: Gen Zs want policy, not TikTok hits, and better political education for young people

There’s one surprising issue that young Aussies want spoken about at the election – and it could shape our country’s future.

It’s been dubbed the ‘TikTok election’ as major parties lavish attention on social media in a bid to lure young voters — but Gen Zs say they want actual policy, not memes.

Gen Z and Millennials, born between 1981 and 2012, now make up the largest demographic heading to the polls on May 3 at 47 per cent of all voters.

Huge sums have been spent by both Labor and the Liberals, flooding feeds with quirky content, slang and sugar hit attack ads, including a viral clip of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese using the phrase “delulu with no solulu” in parliament.

But speaking to The Advertiser’s Young People’s Cabinet, four young, politically engaged South Australians said both the Albanese and Dutton camps’ obsession with content meant their policy platforms lacked clarity.

“It seems like most politicians are more interested in getting TikTok hits than actually fixing our economy and building a stronger Australia … I think the biggest issue that we need to see from both major parties is actually explaining their policies a bit more,” student Adrian Niculescu, 19, said.

“For example, the 25 cent per litre fuel levy – that could be explained as really beneficial to young people, not just from filling up your own car but for tractors to grow the food to trucks to get it to the supermarket, that’s all fuel you’re paying for.”

University student Rachel Files said she believed Labor and the Greens were doing a better job than the Liberal Party at engaging with young people, labelling the latter more “formal and intimidating”.

“Something like ‘delulu with no solulu’ attracts young people, because you feel engaged with the party and feel like you’re having a bit of a laugh,” she said.

“It catches your attention.”

But Ms Files, 18, agreed that greater focus was needed on actual policy – and, in particular, on political education across the board for school students.

The teenager, who grew up in Renmark, South Australia, said many of her friends from regional or rural areas “wouldn’t even know who the prime minister is”.

“Many youths are very uneducated and disconnected and making decisions based on stuff that really doesn’t matter – like, ‘yep, he looks great’ or ‘yep, I like that colour’,” she said.

Mr Niculescu concurred, saying many young people “didn’t really care” about politics.

“It’s not that they’re intentionally avoiding it … but it’s just more interesting to watch the latest TikTok than to watch politicians,” he said.

“Many young people just don’t understand – I think that’s quite alarming.

“When they go to polling booths and they put their second preferences, they’re doing it in a way … that could risk their vote not reaching where they intended to go.”

The Advertiser's Young People's Cabinet (L-R): Denzel James, 19, Rachel Files, 18, reporter Emily Olle, Adrian Niculescu, 19, and Sargunpreet Kaur, 18.

Student Sargunpreet Kaur, 18, who hopes to study medicine, said she believed other states and territories should follow the SA government’s lead on an $18.4m investment to make civics — teaching politics and democracy – a compulsory part of high school curriculums.

“I wasn’t very politically connected until I started putting the initiative myself, so I feel that needs to be something done in schools to build that connection,” she said.

Aspiring politician Denzel James, 19, said despite being the “leaders of tomorrow”, many young people felt they had been left behind when it came to policy promises from both major parties.

“There should be heavy investment into our futures – if the Labor Party was to invest in taxing our coal and gas mines, it could help ease the pressure on debt for us as younger people,” he said.

Originally published as People’s Cabinet: Gen Zs want policy, not TikTok hits, and better political education for young people