Socialist Party Australia - Howard's attacks on young people

People are very cynical of politicians making grand statements that are supposed to change our lives for the better. However this doesn’t stop today’s lot sprouting out ‘sound bites’ that are nothing more than Public Relations from the relative seclusion of Canberra.
By Andrew Calleja, Socialist Party Melbourne

Less than 24 hours after the announcement of the federal budget, it was Liberal Minister for Finance Nick Minchin who put the PR spin on how the budget would benefit young people. Speaking on Triple J’s current affairs program Hack, Minchin proudly boasted that the budget was youth ‘friendly’, although also claimed that the main benefit for today’s young people would come in 20-30 years time, as they will be the beneficiaries of current restructures to Australia’s welfare and tax system.

In reality Australian youth have plenty to worry about. The establishment of the Australian Network of Industry Careers Advisers ensures that the Howard government will have more control over the lives of young people than ever before. People aged between 13-19 and not in full-time study or paid work will have to report to career advisers.

At a glance this sounds like a good idea and one that will help young people sought out their options, but remember that this is the government that introduced the job network system. Those referred to the network have plenty of obligations placed upon them but receive little help improving skills, study prospects and job readiness.

Those studying are facing their own battles as June 30 becomes a reality. Students face the prospect of losing many campus services as the VSU legislation is expected to pass through the Senate sometime around November. VSU seeks to silence students, but also enhances the ideology that private business has a role on campuses. Students will have to pay more for services such as childcare and café’s that will be sourced out to private operators, who are running the services for a profit.

To many young people politics may seem boring and irrelevant. But now is the time to get active and rise up against the tidal wave of attacks from the Howard government. As the old saying goes, you might not have an interest in politics but politics has an interest in you.

The Socialist Party stands against the current trend of cutting funds to public education, increases in HECS fees and low paid casual work. Furthermore we are calling for more apprenticeships which provide real training to young people. Not McJobs or dodgy deregulated traineeships.