Meanwhile, Australia is getting ready for its own election. Fortunately, a new generation of voters ready to fight for their own future are taking to the political stage. Natalie Fleming and May Bourke are two of the many first-time voters ready to make their voices heard. They are committed to advocate for policies that address climate change, housing affordability, gender equality, and health care reform.
Contact Natalie Fleming, a full-time university student and part-time retail worker. She represents the anger of a generation of young Australians who’ve lost faith in mainstream political parties. At 19 years old, she now turns to social media sites like TikTok and Instagram for political information. She thinks these platforms provide a more down-to-earth view on pressing topics. Read May’s full comment, below May Bourke, 20, student at Melbourne University. She thinks adults don’t give young people enough credit in their understanding of political issues.
The Key Issues for Young Voters
Though both Fleming and Bourke have different priorities, they are very focused on their upcoming first votes. During her time in office, Fleming has made gender equality, Indigenous reconciliation, and environmental sustainability central to her work. Her message is aimed at politicians, who she says must show more integrity in their actions and engage with youth to help regain their trust.
Fleming gets specific in urging reforms to housing policy and climate change initiatives. She announces, “This is not just! It must be different! She’s particularly driven by the challenges her generation faces in finding affordable housing. Likewise, she is very vocal about her worries over healthcare availability, especially as she sees costs increasing for those seeking mental health care.
Bourke agrees, emphasizing the need to make climate change a litmus test in the election. “It’s 2025 and it feels as if we’re just going downhill so rapidly,” she notes. And like millions of young women across this country, both understand that how this election turns out will shape their futures well beyond 2020.
The Influence of Social Media
It’s no surprise that social media is the key driver in mobilizing young voters and influencing their political views. Fleming and Bourke often turn to apps like TikTok and Instagram in their search for helpful information and participation in political discourse. Bourke points to influencer Abbie Chatfield’s podcast, It’s A Lot. This new show provides intelligent, sharp, funny analysis of some of the biggest issues of our time and makes it fun.
Dr. Muller, a political scientist, points out an interesting new trend — young voters are looking to influencers for information. He explains that mainstream media fails to reach this population. He suggests that influencers rarely face the hot seat treatment when it comes to interviewing. This ongoing strategy allows them to promote a more accessible, achievable, relatable picture of civic engagement. According to him, “Influencers don’t go in for [the] grilling.”
Challenges Faced by Young Voters
The economic pressures on young Australians are soaring. Fleming reflects on the financial strain associated with education and living costs, saying, “We’re going to be carrying around these debts for the rest of our lives.” This feeling is a familiar one to all those in her demographic that are still dealing with student debt and inflation-related increases in the cost of living.
Australian taxpayer Aiden Shearer, who moved to Australia from Indonesia in 2015, recounts his difficulties dealing with the healthcare system. He recounts his struggle to find affordable dental care, stating, “I’ve had to find a dentist that takes Afterpay.” Shearer highlights the difficulty many face in accessing mental health services. He has been trying to get an ADHD diagnosis for years, but the prohibitive cost of private healthcare has repeatedly stood in his way.
This shared anxiety over their own financial futures only adds to the urgency for change among young voters. Through purposeful engagement, they’re calling on the Federal Government to implement measures to relieve HECS debt burden and improve access to affordable healthcare services.
