Young Australians want more than “Conversation”

22-October-2009

The Rudd Government was clearly “all talk and no action” when it came to addressing the needs of young Australians, Shadow Minister for Youth Sophie Mirabella said today.

 Mrs Mirabella said the “State of Australia’s Young People” Report, released today, highlighted some of the challenges that today’s young people face and gave a snapshot of the productive lives the majority of young people lead.

 “The Report highlights the value of families - with most young people reporting a healthy relationship with their family.  It shows that young people are working, studying, and volunteering, as well as caring for others and taking on a share of domestic duties.”

 “But the report also showed that some sections of the community do not enjoy the same level of participation in family and community life.  These are the kids we need to carefully target and assist, especially indigenous young people.”

 “And the level of young people trying illicit drugs (1 in 5 16 year olds) and the number of young people suffering from mental illness (1 in 4) is still way to high.  Yet the Government chose to freeze funding for the vital Headspace initiative that works to address mental health issues, and they’ve abandoned the Tough on Drugs strategy that the previous Government put in place.”

 “It defies logic.  If they’d allocated the fraction of the $16.6 billion they’re spending on Julia Gillard Memorial halls around the country, they could boost these programs and make a real difference in the lives of young Australians. They could actually target assistance to those young people who are isolated and at risk.”

 Mrs Mirabella said the long-term legacy of the Rudd Labor Government will be the mounting debt that will be “an albatross around the neck of young Australians”.

 “No amount of talk is going to disguise the fact that this big-spending Government hasn’t provided funds for practical programs to address some of the challenges that young people face.  But it will be today’s young people who get saddled with the burden of paying back Labor’s massive $350 billion debt – the largest in our history.”

 Media Enquiries: Felicity Wilkinson (03) 5721 5377