This article reflects the views of the two authors, a father and his ‘almost 14-year-old’ son, Sebastian. It includes Sebastian’s direct responses to some of the arguments raised.
Earlier this year, journalist and author Bernard Keane made a controversial suggestion to strengthen young people’s power to influence political decision-making. Arguing that “policy decisions will affect younger voters for far longer than older voters”, he proposed a “blatantly discriminatory” voting system that age-weighs votes: the vote of a young person, for example, aged under 30, should count more at the ballot box than the vote of an older person who is over 60.
Keane’s ideas draw attention to two critical aspects of political participation and active citizenship in Australia. First, they highlight that the voices of young(er) people are insufficiently reflected in political debates and policymaking; similar concerns have previously been raised by many others. Second, Keane’s suggestion to address this democratic deficit relies on changes to the electoral system, which indicates how voting is regarded as the primary form of political participation in Australia.
Absence of youth voices in the political discourse
While Keane refers to young people who are old enough to vote, those under 18 years of age have even less access to any meaningful avenues to actively participate in the political discourse; the younger, the less.
Sebastian: When I was 10 or 11 years old, I saw a flyer from the local council that invited 12 to 25-year-old residents to complete an online survey to share what they like about their neighbourhood and what they would like the council to invest in more. I had lots of ideas, but I was not allowed to share them in this survey. I found that really unfair.
The Australian Curriculum states as one of its core goals that schooling should help students to become “active and informed citizens”. This is more than a nice-to-have element of a well-rounded education. It is foundational for our democratic system if we follow the prominent social philosopher Oskar Negt, who emphasised that “democracy is the only form of government that has to be learned”.
But are we achieving this goal?
Declining knowledge of civics and citizenship
A 2024 report by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) revealed that “students’ knowledge and understanding of Australia’s democracy, our political system and civic processes has fallen” to the lowest level since records began in 2004. The 2024 Parliamentary Inquiry into civics education, engagement, and participation in Australia quotes several experts sounding alarm about these developments, arguing that, as Professor Murray Print put it, “young Australians are poorly equipped to participate in Australia’s democracy”.
This may be due to a range of factors, but the problem is ultimately framed as a deficit in young people. They are poorly equipped. And adding to this deficit perspective is the common claim – made by adults – that young people are allegedly apolitical and “don’t care”. However, research has consistently shown that’s not the case, and even the ACARA report highlighted that Australian students not only “continue to value the importance of learning about our country’s history and civic institutions” but also frequently “expressed concerns about a range of issues affecting Australia, including pollution, climate change, crime and racism”.
Sebastian: I do care about lots of stuff that is happening in the world. I’m furious about racism and homophobia! It drives me mad, but what should I do? I can tell people off when they make racist comments, and I wrote ‘F*** Nazis’ on my shoes and have a ‘No Racism’ patch on my jacket, but that’s it. What else can I do? No one really wants to hear what kids think about this stuff.
Political participation beyond the ballot box
According to the latest results of the longitudinal survey of Australian children, Growing up in Australia, only around one in ten young people (11 per cent) believe that “Australia’s political system allows people like them a meaningful say in what government does”. An obvious reason is, of course, that young people under 18 can’t use the most central form of political participation: casting their vote at the ballot box. This leaves young people with limited options and highlights the crucial importance of taking part in public protests as “a key part of teen political repertoires“. Various studies, for example on student-led political rallies in the context of environmentalist movements, have found that young people see protests as one of the few potentially powerful avenues of political participation they have.
Political leaders’ scepticism towards youth protests
The right to protest is protected in Australia through the constitutionally implied right to political communication; this applies to everyone in the country, regardless of their age. Nevertheless, student strikes and walk-outs often draw critical commentary, disapproval, even disdain from government representatives and other leading political figures, arguing that kids should be at school instead of pursuing one of the few pathways of political participation available to them.
In August 2026, this condemnation from the political establishment – across the conservative right to the centre-left – was once again on full display when thousands of university and high school students walked out of their classrooms on a Thursday afternoon to protest against Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party in several Australian cities.
In an interview prior to these protests in August, Liberal Senator Alex Antic said, “kids need to be in school.” Condescendingly noting the obvious – that “kids are allowed to have a view” – he emphasised that they should not take “time out of their learning … to go and hit the streets”. He further questioned young people’s understanding of the matter and agency: “Why are kids protesting things that they don’t really – I think – have a proper grasp of? And why are they being encouraged to do it by adults?”
Sebastian: I know what Hanson has been saying. I know she says really bad things about queer people or people from Asia and Muslims. That spreads hate and prejudice. She is talking about real people, like many of my friends. And I want her to know that’s BS, and that we absolutely don’t agree with her.
On the other side of politics, the federal education minister, Jason Clare, and the Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, were also among those critical of the students’ walkouts. Clare made it clear that he was not generally opposed to young people protesting, but they should do it “on the weekend”; he added, “I want you at school when school is on”. The Victorian premier expressed his sympathy that young people were “angry with the sentiment and the policies of One Nation”. However, he insisted that the “best way to change your future and the world is to get an education and to stay in school”. He said, “You want to change the world, stay at school … focus on what your learning is in the classroom”.
Sebastian: That’s ridiculous! Yes, I understand, learning is important, but it’s not the only thing in the world that counts. And what do they expect? That I shut up and wait until I’m done with school, or done with uni? I want to speak out now. I’m angry!
These comments from political leaders are patronising and demonstrate their poor understanding of, and deep-seated scepticism towards, youth agency and protesting as a central avenue of young people’s political participation as “active and informed citizens” – a key educational goal according to the Australian Curriculum.
Active citizenship is not something that can simply be switched on when someone turns 18 and is allowed to vote. Young people care about, and have an understanding of, the world around them, they take positions and have concerns, and many are looking for ways to express them in a meaningful and impactful way – necessarily outside the electoral system. This needs to be encouraged by everyone who cares about the health of our democracy and actively supported if we are serious about strengthening all citizens’ active commitment to liberal democracy.
Australia’s compulsory voting system and electoral institutions are a big asset, but a strong democracy is not necessarily saved by general elections. Let’s not forget that authoritarian and even totalitarian regimes around the world have been voted in democratically for many decades. Ultimately, strengthening and safeguarding our democratic system relies more than anything on active citizens – regardless of their age – who care, can express their concerns freely, hold governments and political leaders to account and stand up for what they believe in.
Sebastian: I want to have the last word here. I want the politicians to listen to what we young people have to say. Take us seriously, because I am serious! Listen to us and not just to other old people. This is our world too!
Mario Peucker
Mario Peucker is an Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities (ISILC) at Victoria University in Melbourne and an executive member of the Centre for Resilient Communities and Inclusive Societies (CRIS). Mario has undertaken qualitative and quantitative research on the radical right and other political movements, dissent and sociocultural inclusion-exclusion dynamics since 2003, both in Europe and Australia.
Sebastian Peucker
Sebastian Peucker is a high school student who loves skateboarding, hates racism and homophobia and cares about the world he lives in.