As the federal election campaign begins ahead of Saturday, 3 May 2025, one question stands out: how can we meaningfully engage young Australians—now the largest voting bloc, led by Gen Z and Millennials? In today’s post, Planning Saw (@PlanningSaw) and Cham Kim, both final-year medical students at the University of Melbourne and members of the Future Healthy Countdown 2030 Working Group, explore how best to involve young people in shaping Australia’s democratic future.

The Turkish Ice Cream Effect: Performance Without Substance

Have you ever seen a Turkish ice cream vendor at work? A cone is handed over—only to be whisked away again and again in a series of playful sleights. For some, it builds anticipation. For others, it becomes a performance of empty promises.

This metaphor aptly captures how many young Australians experience politics today—entertained, promised, but rarely served. Trust can only flourish in a reciprocal relationship. Yet, across multiple election cycles, young voters have watched as their priorities—affordable housing, climate action, and the cost of living—are consistently sidelined.

The impact is clear: just 21% of young Australians who voted in the last election said they did so because they believed voting makes a difference. Meanwhile, 47% of Gen Z voters reported voting only to avoid a fine. This is not political apathy—it is disillusionment. A healthy democracy should inspire participation, not compel it through penalty.

When Policies Ignore Young People

At the heart of this disillusionment is a political system built on flawed assumptions. Rather than centring the rights and realities of young people, Australia defaults to a trickle-down model—where adult concerns dominate policymaking on the assumption that children and young people will also benefit. Simultaneously, politicians pursue a trickle-up strategy, focusing their attention on older, more consistent voting blocs.

This disconnect is not theoretical—it has real-world consequences. The recent decision to ban social media use for those under 16 is a case in point. Despite overwhelming concern from academics and young people, the policy was rushed through with minimal consultation and cherry-picked support.

*Children and young people show their political engagement in different ways, including protesting. Photo credit:* *Li-An Lim* on *Unsplash*

Instead of developing nuanced responses—such as digital literacy programs, algorithmic transparency, and accountability for platforms that perpetuate harm—the government opted for a blunt ban. In doing so, it failed to recognise both the harms and the benefits of social media in the lives of young Australians, especially those in marginalised groups. Once again, their voices were excluded from the decisions that shape their lives.

Beyond the Ballot: New Forms of Engagement

Despite being consistently overlooked, young people remain politically active—just not in traditional ways. Their energy is increasingly channelled into protests, social enterprises, volunteering, and legal activism that centre values like equity, sustainability, and justice.

One striking example is the 2021 class action filed by young people against the Environment Minister, a bold move that underscored their lack of faith in conventional political channels. Rather than aligning with political parties, they are building movements and demonstrating a clear demand for accountability, transparency, and meaningful change.

Declining voter turnout should not be mistaken for political disengagement. It reflects a broader frustration with systems that fail to listen or adapt. Young Australians are not withdrawing from democracy—they are redefining it.

A Better Way Forward: Centring Young People in Policy

To rebuild trust and strengthen democratic engagement, young people must be placed at the heart of policymaking. The Future Healthy Countdown 2030 outlines eight trackable, high-impact policy actions across seven interconnected domains most likely to improve the wellbeing of children and young people by 2030.

*Image 1: Future Healthy Countdown 2030 domains. Taken from* *Lycett et al.* *(2023).*

These policy actions were developed with the input of young people themselves, and reflects one of the domains: Participating. They are not abstract ideas. They reflect the lived concerns of young people and offer a roadmap for intergenerational justice, structural equity, and a more sustainable future.

Key policy recommendations

Overarching: Establish a Future Generations Commission
Create an independent, legislated body to ensure that the interests of future generations are embedded in all federal policymaking.

Invest in early childhood
Provide financial support to families and address poverty and material deprivation in the first 2000 days of life.
Support maternal and child health
Establish a national investment fund for culturally relevant, sustained home visiting programs for families facing structural disadvantage.
Empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years services
Implement dedicated funding for community-controlled services that deliver culturally safe, high-quality early learning grounded in community.
Properly fund public education
Deliver full and accountable Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) funding, with immediate priority for structurally disadvantaged communities.
Protect children from harmful marketing
Legislate strong safeguards against the marketing of unhealthy and harmful products to children and young people under 18.
Extend voting rights
Amend the Electoral Act to make voting compulsory from age 16, recognising the rights of young people to help shape the future.
End fossil fuel expansion
Legislate an immediate halt to all new fossil fuel projects, prioritising long-term environmental sustainability.

Young Voices, Healthy Futures

Young people are growing increasingly weary of political systems that disregard their needs. They belong to a generation shaped by the consequences of policy decisions made without an intergenerational lens. The Australian political system could do more to include and centre the priorities of children, young people and future generations.

If political parties genuinely wish to earn their trust, they must begin by listening—and then acting. Aligning with the Future Healthy Countdown 2030 is not only a step toward restoring confidence, but also a commitment to a more inclusive, equitable democracy.

Acknowledging power imbalances, dismantling structural barriers, and returning autonomy and respect to young Australians is not just good policy—it’s essential for a healthy democratic future.

The Future Healthy Countdown 2030 is a collaborative research initiative between VicHealth, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). It publishes a yearly supplement in the Medical Journal of Australia, featuring one of the domains and measuring progress on children and young people's health and wellbeing.

Posted by Susan Maury (@SusanMaury)

Gen Z and the Ballot Box: Rethinking Political Inclusion in Australia