Callen Sorensen-Karkliss
Its election time again, time to choose which people we want to represent us in the parliament.
A time to pick something new or kick out the old, but do we really choose something new when things seem to change?
A key issue has been the youth turnout during recent years at elections. Almost 400,000 young people nationwide aged between 18 to 25 are missing from the electoral roll according to the AEC. That includes half our 18 year-olds, and a quarter of our 19 year-olds.
Many paint the negative picture being today’s youth being ill informed, inexperienced, and ignorant in today’s world.
As a young person who is both community and politically involved I’m here to tell everybody that the punters saying this are dead set wrong.
Young people today are taken for granted, how can we expect people in this demographic to roll out for uninspiring leadership in candidates that push for the fair go that made this country so great once.
Yes, a great deal of us young people care about climate change action, equal marriage, indigenous rights, refugees, but we do also care greatly about our education, the nation’s health system, jobs, the economy and most importantly the democracy of this nation.
How can we expect younger voters to vote for something they think is broken or barely functioning? If the major parties stopped turfing out their leaders through revolving doors, chose articulate candidates set aside from the average career politician, introduced some sense of stability and increased everybody having more of a say in their party structures on policy and candidate selection or heaven forbid choosing an independent candidate for a change with some guts we might start to see an increase in younger voters.
I call on all Bowman candidates at this year’s 2016 federal election to listen carefully the youth of today who feel marginalized by endless media cycles of cynicism, political corruption, lacklustre, unimaginative budgets, and their blinker styled institutionalized leadership looking backwards not forwards to tomorrow.
Callen Sorensen-Karklis – Thornlands
ARC says enrol by 23 May
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) says you are eligible to enrol if you:
- are an Australian citizen, or eligible British subject,
- aged 18 years and over, and
- have lived at your address for at least one month.
If you are 16 or 17 you can enrol now so when you turn 18 you’ll be able to vote.
Here’s a link to the AEC on-line enrolment form
Redland2030 – 13 May 2016
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
Thanks for the article Callen. I would like to meet you or at least connect about the issues you raise. All very valid. I hope to try and bring something a bit more authentic to the seat of Bowman. Ultimately you guys will decide so I welcome your engagement.
I was encouraged to read Callan’s letter, which addresses the concerns each Australian is facing in the Federal Election.
Our democracy is fragile, and we have to make choices. Yet, even today in this information ‘connected’ world, it can be difficult to decide who will best represent Bowman, whilst at the same time elect the next Federal government.
Your vote and every vote are important.
We can search the Internet on each political party’s policies to see how they will impact our future. We can search interstate and international newspapers online to compare comment. We can dig for the true facts, which are often misreported and misrepresented in our everyday media and TV news bulletins.
Check information on politicians’ brochures and pamphlets. Do they inform or enlighten us on the big questions facing Australia, or are they merely a vehicle for self-promotion? Seek answers to your concerns: for you are not alone.
A little research will help us to select candidates whose visionary policies steer Australia to develop future industries and new technologies. Policies that support research and development in science; offer affordable higher education and training; preserve our world-class Medicare system and nurture our creative industries.
A democratic government for the people that respects and represents its citizens and established institutions – a strong advocate for Australia’s global influence on the world’s stage.
Our democracy is fragile and your vote protects it.
It’s not only younger voters with these same concerns.
Politicians and political parties with self preservation being their only interest, rather than community concern is the big issue turning off seasoned voters like myself.
It’s refreshing to hear Callen’s perspective. I’d like to hear more from the younger voters.
It is my belief that we all have to take a good look at ourselves and maybe it will become obvious that everyone has to change from what is in it for me to what am I prepared to give up to try and bring our budget/deficit down.