We have all heard the expression, “you cannot be what you cannot see.” I think to an extent this rings true to younger voters. Voters may feel like they cannot see themselves, or their demographic, represented in their Parliamentarians. This may at times leave some feeling disenfranchised with our political systems and the decisions that ultimately affect them.
As a young Member of Parliament, I believe that young people should have a seat around the table to discuss the issues that impact their lives. I believe it is important they can see themselves reflected in their Parliamentarians. Ultimately, increasing youth representation in our Parliament is crucial to ensuring the Legislature is more reflective of our diverse communities.
There are over 400,000 South Australians aged between 15 and 34, equating to nearly 25% of South Australia’s population. Youth have the power to change the outcome of an election. Engaging with our youth should not just be with the intention of winning votes. Ultimately, to enable young people to have their voices heard means that they need to be empowered at all levels. They need to have the knowledge to be able to engage with their Parliamentarians and our democratic system should they choose in order:
- To be able to develop policy and enact real change.
- To gather signatures for a petition of significance.
- To provide submissions to a Parliamentary Committee.
- To write to their Member of Parliament when there is a matter
of concern.
Before we can run, we must first walk. It starts with strong civics education at a young age about the pillars of our Westminster system and how this system sits within a free democracy. Fundamentally, the importance of civics education cannot be understated in the engagement of young people in our political system. It can be the difference between apathy and engagement.
Hon. Laura Henderson, MLC and Hon. Vincent Tarzia, MP welcome students from East Marden Primary School on a tour of the Parliament of
South Australia in Adelaide.
There were reports after the 2019 Australian Federal Election (where voting is compulsory for eligible voters over the age of 18 under Australian electoral law) that there was a low voter turnout, with voting figures suggesting less than 91% of people cast their ballot. According to reports ‘Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide – all either the youngest or among the youngest electorates in their respective states – had among the lowest state turnouts.’ We need to engage with those who are disenfranchised or disengaged.
If we want to see young people engaged in political dialogue, it is my view that it is important they see themselves in their Parliamentarians. Key to that, is seeing more young people elected to the Parliament.
In writing this article, I reflected on my own journey to being elected to the South Australian Parliament. I first ran for Parliament when I was 21 years old in what was considered an ‘unwinnable’ State electorate for my party. A year later, I would contest the Australian Federal election, again in what was an ‘unwinnable’ seat. It was not until I was 25, that I was elected to the Legislative Council of the South Australian Parliament, in March 2022.
In the lead up to, and since my election, I have often had commentary about my age. I am often met with a sense of support and enthusiasm at the notion that a young woman would run for politics in our country. I think this is a testament to the warm nature of Australian people and our great democratic system.
However, my time as a candidate in these campaigns also provided me with great insight into some of the challenges faced by prospective young candidates on their journey to Parliament. It would be remiss of me to not highlight some of these challenges, should we wish to see greater representation of this cohort in the future. To acknowledge some of the barriers that may limit their ability to run for, or be successful in, an election. I acknowledge this may not be reflective of all young people in politics and is by no means a comprehensive list.
1. Financial stability – naturally, young people are not as established in their careers and likely do not have the same financial stability as some of their older counterparts. Putting aside the cost of election materials (often borne by candidates or their supporters), candidates will often need to take time from their employment to be able to run for office, with no guarantee as to any prospects of success. Whilst this is true for all candidates, young candidates arguably are not as established financially, or in their careers, to be able to facilitate such risk.
2. Political Experience – sometimes young people may wrongly be perceived as not having the requisite experience to be a Member of Parliament. I would argue that our Parliamentarians should come from diverse backgrounds. They should be reflective of people from all walks of life, as is true of the communities they serve.
3. Importance of civics education – whilst many young people may be engaged in world politics through social media, and the 24/7 news cycle, it would be fair to say that many do not engage in politics beyond such mediums. For some, this may be as they do not have an interest in politics. This is perfectly fine; politics is not everyone’s cup of tea. For others, it may well be they do not know how to take that next step in getting involved. Ultimately, such disengagement comes back to my earlier point about the importance of civics education. A solid civics education gives those who wish to be involved the tools and knowledge to be able to take that next step, should they choose.
4. Focus on family life – whilst for the most part, the interest around my age has been positive, there has been an unusual interest in my intentions to start a family. The nature of this interest has gone beyond the typical “do you have children?” small talk. The questions have varied from if I want to have children, to when I would like to have children, to how many children I would like to have, and who would raise my children (that I do not yet have) should I be elected? I have had more than one instance where people have approached myself, or my now husband, insistent that I was in fact pregnant (spoiler alert, I was not).
From speaking with some of my male colleagues, I understand they are not met with the same level of interest or scrutiny on this subject. I attribute this interest to both my age and my gender. I raise this not as a complaint of the ‘cut and thrust’ of politics, but that, if we are to engage young people (particularly young women), then we need to think about how cultural change in our roles is enacted to make that happen. From young women I speak to, from all walks of life, scrutiny around a young woman’s desire to have a family, or not to have a family, is a barrier to entry into a role in Parliament. This issue must be addressed, should we wish to see more young women putting their hands up to run for Parliament. To not address this, further contributes to concerns some may have about the perception that politics and family life cannot go hand in hand.
Ultimately, the more diverse our Parliaments are, the more it will accurately reflect the nature of our communities. Our democracy is made richer by the many, rather than the few. We have a fundamental need to get more youth into our Parliaments, and to engage them more broadly in our political systems.
