Australian Young Labor Conference 2003 Jacinta Collins - Shadow Minister for Children and Youth

Speech

Transcript - 16 August 2003

Good Morning and thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

It is with great pleasure that I address you on behalf of the Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party, Simon Crean, and as the Shadow Minister for Children and Youth.

I would like to begin my remarks today by acknowledging two important points.

Firstly, I am here representing Simon Crean and in my capacity as the Shadow Minister for Youth because I believe that Australian Young Labor is a most valuable part of our great party. Here you bring together Young Labor Activists from all around the country and provide a forum in which they can put, debate (I am sure often with much vigour) and vote for policy that effects young people both as individuals and as part of the society. I understand that even the young activists from my home state of Victoria once again have votes that entitle them to effect the outcomes of the conference.

Secondly, those of you who come together in this forum are all, obviously, involved in the Australian Labor Party, albeit in very different ways. I am sure most of you are involved locally. Many of you organise Young Labor. Some of you work in student unions. Others in trade unions. Some of you work in party offices. Others in electorate offices and in ministerial and shadow ministerial offices. Whilst you all have very different roles I am certain that you all spend too much time at party fundraisers where you have paid to hear the same politicians issue the same speech.

Therefore, in opening this conference today I do not intend to patronise this forum with rhetoric. Or perhaps, I'll at least disguise it a little better.

In times where so many young people seem to be deserting the Labor Party in favour not only of minor parties such as the Greens but in favour of the Liberal National Party, the conservatives, there are perhaps more significant issues to be considered in a forum such as this.

A Morgan Poll was conducted on the 3^rd and 4^th of November 2001, one week before the last federal election, and the question was asked "If a federal election was held today which party would receive your first preference?"

In the age group of 18 – 24 year olds 28.8% indicated Liberal National Party, 44.6% indicated ALP, 6% indicated Democrat, 11.7% indicated Green.

As we contemplate the possibility of a Double Dissolution election, another Morgan Poll was conducted on the 19^th, 20^th, 26^th and 27^th of July 2003. Again the question was asked, "If a federal election was held today which party would receive your first preference?"

In the age group of 18 – 24 year olds 35.2% indicated Liberal National Party, 41% indicated ALP, 2.9% indicated Democrat, 14.6% indicated Green.

The 2001 and 2003 Morgan Poll show a considerable shift in the voting intentions of people aged 18-24 years at the federal polls. Since 2001 the ALP has decreased its support amongst young people by 3.6% and the Democrats have decreased their support amongst young people by 3.1%. The Liberal National Party has increased its support amongst young people by 6.4% and the Greens have increased their support amongst young people by 2.9%.

Today I intend to put, and I ask you to think about, one of the most crucial questions facing the Australian Labor Party.

It is obvious why young people are deserting the Democrats, everyone is deserting the Democrats.

But why are young people deserting Labor and, why are they doing so in favour of the Greens and the Conservatives?

In contemplating the answer I want to discuss two important propositions.

Firstly, that the Australian Labor Party, both federally and state by state, must be a party that provides for real, meaningful participation of young people in our party.

Secondly, that the Australian Labor party must develop and promote policy that both provides for the needs and the wants of Australian young people and that inspires them to be part of an egalitarian Australian society.

What is real, meaningful participation of young people in our party?

The Australian Labor Party is a genuine labour Party. It is one of only very few in the world to which trade unions directly affiliate. It is a party designed to represent the interests of working people and their families. It is a party established to provide for the equal participation of all people in society.

Importantly, however in order to represent the interests of working people and their families and in order to provide for the equal participation of all people in society, the Australian Labor Party must provide for and encourage the participation of all members in the structures and processes of the party. This must include young people.

The Hawke – Wran review, and the subsequent special rules conference, was commissioned to consider, amongst other things, the ways in which the Australian Labor Party could be more accessible and more inclusive of those who sought to participate within it. Several recommendations were implemented and amongst those was a recommendation that required people to be on the electoral role in order to be eligible to vote in federal preselections.

Since the special rules conference last year there has been nation wide debate about how states should amend their own rules so that they are consistent with the national rules. Different states have resolved to do this in different ways. What is disappointing however is that many states have used this as an opportunity to restrict the rights of young people in our party.

This is perhaps best evidenced in my home state of Victoria where many young people have had almost all their rights removed, and retrospectively. In Victoria young people have had their right to vote and stand for both offices of the party and positions that make party policy taken away from them.

In Victoria the average age of the party membership is fifty. The future of the Labor Party depends on young people being attracted to participate in it but what incentive is there for young people to be involved if they have very few rights to influence party administration and policy.

Incidentally, how can the Labor Party expect young people to continue to do the hard, endless and often thankless work that they do but at the same time take away so many of their membership rights. By way of example, at election time it is Young Labor that in many ways holds up our campaigns, particularly in marginal seats. Many Young Labor activists manage campaigns but many more support candidates by spending most nights of the week and almost always a fair proportion of their weekends slaving over risograph machines, maintaining electrac, letterboxing, staffing shopping centre stalls and attending rallies. A Labor campaign without Young Labor Activists would in many instances collapse. Young people support the foundations of our party and young people must therefore have real membership rights in our party.

If the participation of young people in the Australian Labor Party was not encouraged and went unrewarded what incentive is there for young people to join the Australian Labor Party?

Further, the Australian Labor Party needs not only the enthusiasm and hard work of young people; it needs the ideas of young people. The Australian Labor Party must develop and promote policy that both provides for the needs and the wants of Australian young people and that inspires them to be part of an egalitarian Australian society.

It was once considered that young people voted Democrat and Green because many young people supposedly opposed major parties and for the sake of "keeping the bastards honest" voted for minor parties. However, if this were still true the intentions of young people to vote Democrat would probably have grown and the intentions of people to vote for either the ALP or the Liberal National Party would have remained relatively consistent. The Morgan Poll could be considered to tell a different story. The Morgan Poll could be considered evidence that people vote for parties that have strong ideas be they conservative or liberal (small "l" liberal).

Young people want to vote for policy that has a real ability to change their lives for the better. They want to see real ideas that would make real improvements to their standard of living. Notably, despite all their faults what John Howard and Bob Brown have in common is that they are not afraid to promote change that would affect their values and beliefs. Whether it is the regulation or deregulation of the higher education sector they go out and advocate for it and that (however frightening it may be) inspires people, particularly young people.

The Australian Labor Party needs to reclaim the votes of young people that it has lost to both the right and the left of the political spectrum. It needs to do so by proving that the Australian Labor Party has policy that has the ability to affect the lives of all people, particularly young people.

And the Australian Labor Party does have policy that can affect the lives of all people, particularly young people, we just cannot be afraid to put it out there. Take for example Youth Wages. Last week, on International Youth Day, I was very pleased to issue a statement applauding the fact that next week the ACTU Congress will consider a motion of the ACTU Executive to continue the achievements of some ACTU affiliates towards the eradication of youth wages by mounting a test case in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. Labor supports this test case because Labor believes that people are entitled to wages and conditions based on competency and skill. Labor clearly stands for continual improvements in young peoples lives.

The Australian Labor Party needs to reclaim the votes of young people by proving that the Australian Labor Party remains committed to the continual development of policy that will provide for the needs and wants of young people well into the future.

Hence, in opening the 2003 Australian Young Labor conference I ask that you continue to stand up for the protection of the rights of young people to fully participate in the Australian Labor Party. We need your enthusiasm, your ideas and your hard work to make sure that we develop policy that is relevant and inspiring to young people. We need your enthusiasm, your ideas and your hard work to ensure that we elect a federal Labor Government that will actually improve the lives of young people.

Thank you.

End. Check Against Delivery