State Election Forum: Students and Young People
Words by Louise Jackson
SUSAN CLOSE MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
ROBERT SIMMS MLC, Greens Member for the Upper House
HEATHER HOLMES-ROSS, Independent Candidate for Waite
ANNE BAINBRIDGE, CEO at Youth Affairs Council South Australia
BILLY ZIMMERMANN, National Union of Students Welfare Officer
Chaired — IVAN JANKOVIC, Secretary Arts Students Association
On 9th March, The Arts Students Association, in partnership with the Politics and International Relations Association, conducted a student forum on the issues facing students and young people in the upcoming state election. The panellists identified 4 core issues: environment, housing, wage theft and job insecurity, and education.
Environment
We live in a constant state of anxiety over what our future looks like. Climate change is a threat we’re already feeling the effect of. Simms discussed the Greens’ plan to support SA’s existing green areas and dedicate money to tree protection and tree planting. Urban greening would be a huge job creation opportunity. The Greens are also pushing for free public transport, incentives for manufacturing electric vehicles, and investment in bike infrastructure.
Both Simms and Close expressed the want for a public-owned energy generator. Labor hopes to build a generator that stores renewably generated energy (solar, wind) in hydrogen batteries. The ability to store produced energy for long periods of time in a state known for plentiful sun and wind could create the potential for SA to export green energy. Close also mentioned scrapping the electric vehicles tax brought in by the Marshall government (yes, we’re really taxing electric vehicles…). Holmes-Ross expressed her support for green energy initiatives, speaking of the potential to turn neighbourhoods into self-sufficient power plants using solar panels and batteries. There was a push from all panellists to cap the state’s emissions, placing limits on the amount of carbon business can produce.
The panel discussed the current government’s action on climate change, suggesting SA had been going well until green initiatives were cancelled or downgraded under Marshall. Bainbridge said the most important impact the government could have on young peoples’ experience of climate change is the willingness to listen to us. Particularly as we enter a fourth year of the School Strike for Climate, it is vital to seek out the youth perspective rather than criticise students for skipping out on school. Zimmerman stated that youth must be considered one of the most important stakeholders in climate action. He also suggested governments are inactive on reducing emissions as fossil fuel companies entrench themselves into political parties with large donations.
Housing
Housing is a human right, but in our generation, it has become a commodity. There is a huge disconnect in the South Australian housing market — some own tens of properties while others sleep on the streets.
Bainbridge discussed the discrimination young people face in the rental market. Renters must often compromise safety and live miles from campuses just to find affordable housing.
The Greens are interested in introducing caps on skyrocketing rent prices, abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions, and reassessing the preferential rights given to landlords over tenants. Simms also discussed a policy aimed at building 10,000 public housing properties over 4 years and following the lead of Victoria’s Labor government in introducing a vacant properties tax. Labor is developing a public housing policy.
Wage Theft and Job Insecurity
For students, work is often a source of stress. This stress is only made worse by a crisis of wage theft, job insecurity and general unemployment. Close addressed the committee on wage theft, which has exposed the significance of the problem in SA. Labor intends to put job security, adequate payment, and legislative protections into policy, lifting the standard for employers. 1 in 4 are casual workers, yet as Close points out, we do not treat casual work as a ‘dignified’ way to live. Zimmerman spoke of the particularly high rate of wage theft among international students; 1 in 3 workers in Chinatown were paid cash in hand, under award rates. International students don’t have a voice in Australian politics, so their rights are often overlooked.
Holmes-Ross contributed to the discussion her perspective as a small business owner. Small hospitality businesses paying award rate struggle to compete with the 75% that are underpaying workers. Criticism of young people condemns us as too lazy to take the low paying, casualised jobs on offer. Holmes-Ross points out that it’s not that no one is willing to work, but that no one is willing to work for that little.
Simms addressed the topic of youth wages, the system in which those 20 and under are legally paid differently to other employees. We base all other pay on skillset and hierarchy so why are young people not afforded the same rights and why is youth labour considered of less value? This system enables many businesses to employ under 20s (and particularly under 18s) over adults simply because they can be paid less.
Education
It’s hard to ignore the current state of the university sector. If you’ve spent any time on campus since the employment of Vice-Chancellor, Peter Høj, you’ve likely noticed a sentiment of dissatisfaction that goes beyond the political divide. Zimmerman noted Høj’s track record of seeking efficiency through job cuts. The upcoming faculty merger, job cuts, and proposed cuts to courses have many students concerned they will not receive the same level of support or quality of education.
There is also the potential for a larger scale merger of the South Australian universities. The proposal comes up every few years but has yet to get past negotiation stages. Close said the Labor Party has a proposed policy (available on their website) to establish a University Merger Commission. It comes from a place of concern, she says. The university sector is a huge part of SA’s economy but is reliant on international students. None of the universities are ranked in the global top 100, despite Adelaide marketing itself as a university city. The policy does claim the goal is not to shrink universities, but to make the sector stronger. Close suggested that universities suffer because they are instructed by the federal government to run as businesses, driven by profit rather than education and research quality.
The Greens are entirely against mergers, believing it could have a negative impact on jobs and the experience of students. The university sector is one of the largest employers in South Australia and, as we’re seeing at Adelaide Uni, job cuts seem to come hand-in-hand with mergers. Simms had previously proposed a cap to the wages of Vice-Chancellors in SA, suggesting they not be paid more than the State Premier. It did not pass. Close did point out Vice-Chancellor pay was a problem across Australia, so a cap may make us unable to compete with other universities for high-demand, qualified VC candidates. Zimmerman expressed concern that a merger would be unsuccessful under current university leadership. Both Zimmerman and Bainbridge believed there was a consistent lack of consultation with students.
The panellists agreed that ultimately, the problem is with the federal government’s continued underfunding of Australian universities. States are not responsible for funding, so the panellists are simply trying to do their best to not further exacerbate the problem, even if they don’t have the capacity to fix it.
In a year defined by the upcoming federal election, it’s important not to undervalue the impact of state politics on us young people. So, use your vote this year; vote with care for what you care about.
Correction: In this article it was written that the Greens’ ‘policy aimed at building 10,000 public housing properties over 4 years’ but should have stated ‘10,000 public housing properties per year for 4 years’ or ‘40,000 public housing properties over 4 years’. Thank you to the reader who noticed this error.
