Aussie Fair Go Under Threat - Gen Y
26 February 2015 at 10:07 am
Less than one in three young Australians believe that the country is a fairer nation today than it was five years ago, according to new research.
Figures released by Galaxy Research this week claim that 42 per cent of Generation Y members view fairness as Australia’s most important national value, while only 28 per cent viewed mateship as the most important.
But the figures also revealed that these characteristics are under threat with only 29 per cent believing that Australia has become fairer over the last five years.
MIllennials also said Australia was no longer acting fairly on the world stage, with nearly half, 45 per cent, agreeing that it is unfair that Australian aid has been cut to its lowest level ever.
With the release of the figures University students in Sydney were invited to back their personal commitment to a fair go with the launch of the Campaign for Australian Aid and its Fair Share food truck.
Students who visit the Fair Share food truck are invited to pay what they think is fair for a meal of Southeast Asian cuisine.
Following the launch at the University of New South Wales, the Fair Share food truck will be visiting other universities and public venues in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne over the coming weeks.
World Vision CEO Tim Costello attended the launch and said it was hoped it would act as a catalyst for an innovative campaign by Australian aid organisations that taps into our national sense of fairness, and poses a strong challenge to continuous cuts to the Australian aid budget.
He said the campaign aims to build greater understanding and support for Australian aid by showcasing its effectiveness in countries around the world.
“As Australians, through Australian aid, we have played a key part in one of the greatest success stories of our time. In the last 20 years we’ve been part of an international effort that has now halved the number of people living in extreme poverty. It’s not something that we see or hear about very often, but we’ve helped to make the world a fairer place for all, and that’s something we can be very proud of,” Costello said.
“We believe that through this grassroots campaign we can encourage all Australians to stand up for what they believe is fair; and rally together to continue the great work that we do, helping people living in poor communities to build a fairer future.”
The Galaxy Research results also showed that while young Australians may feel that Australia is becoming less fair, they hold out hope for a fairer future.
According to the research around half of the respondents want to see Australian aid deliver better access to healthcare, education, and clean water for all.
Costello said it was reassuring to see young people valuing such important work around the world.
“As a nation, we value fairness more than any other Australian attribute. We want to be known for fairness, and Australian aid is a powerful expression of our belief in a fair go for all,” he said.
The Campaign for Australian Aid is a joint initiative of the Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge coalitions.
The launch of the campaign included the introduction of a twitter hashtag, #australianaid
I would just like to say a few words about the changes to the social support system for young people. If aged between 18 and 30, from July 1 they will be expected to work 25 hrs per week in a not-for-profit organisation for a period of 6 mths at a time – this is called work for the dole. You might think this will give them much needed experience so they are more prepared for the workforce. Being involved in the job services industry I can tell you that appropriate work experience is very rare and the govt has now taken away any certificates associated with this work. If the young person is at university but studying part time and not eligible for AustStudy, they will still be expected to do the work for the dole AND apply for jobs. This means they will be doing more than the legal level of work (38-40 hrs per week) that employed people do. Did you know that the Newstart payment is $220 per week? That means they are working for less than $10 per hr. For people over 30 yrs old, the work for the dole reduces to 15 hrs per week. Why is it that we as a society, would expect young people to do 10 hrs more per week for the same money? When are we going to start looking at why these young people are finding it hard to get work? When are we going to start helping them instead of punishing them?