One takeaway from the federal election result that the corporate media is avoiding is the phenomenon of young people looking for alternatives to the two major parties and the capitalist system.
Labor may have won more seats in the federal election, but it did so with a swing of less than 2%. Meanwhile, the Coalition received a -3.85% swing — its worst-ever election result.
Combined, the major parties received their lowest-ever share of votes, with a record 33.6% of first-preference votes going to minor parties and independents.
People are moving away from the major parties; they are looking for real solutions to the housing crisis and job security. They are looking for parties with real plans to tackle the climate emergency and, especially in a cost-of-living crisis, want free and accessible healthcare, transport and education.
Young people are increasingly voting for parties that they see pushing back against the capitalist system. Last year’s YouGov poll revealed that most 18–24-year-olds think Australia should be “more socialist”.
Some of the highest votes for Greens and progressives were recorded in electorates with the most young people aged 20–39 (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Macnamara, Wills, Reid and Griffith). While Labor won these seats, the Greens are becoming its primary challenger, and the Coalition is being left behind.
Despite the conservative media attacks claiming that the Greens lost three of their four lower house seats because they are “too radical”, the Greens vote held.
Where socialist candidates ran, they received positive results in the Senate and lower house seats.
The ABC’s demographic breakdown on May 7 of electorates revealed that the Coalition won very few seats in electorates with more than 30% of voters under 39 years old.
Similar trends are revealed in electorates with more renters, who are also often young. In electorates with the most renters (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Griffith, Parramatta and Solomon) the Coalition vote flopped and the Greens received a high percentage.
Young women are more progressive than young men, the statistics show. Analysis by the Conversation found that “the strongest positive predictor of a Greens or independent vote, removing all other variables, was the share of university-educated women”.
Intifar Chowdhury, who lectures in government at Flinders University, told the ABC that “the old logic — that people naturally drift right as they age — is breaking down”.
This is particularly important this election, as it is the first time that Millenials (29–44 years old) and Gen Z (13–28) made up a larger share of the electorate compared with Baby Boomers (61–79).
Young people made up 47% of voters and, by the next federal election in 2028, they will be the clear majority.
Chowdhury argues that younger generations are more “issue aligned” than party aligned and will vote for whoever they perceive as having policies most in line with their values.
For the tens of thousands of young people who have joined pro-Palestine rallies in the past 20 months, Israel’s genocide was a critical issue for them this election.
The same goes for those who have grown up with an awareness of impending climate disaster, experiencing fear and anxiety for the future, but also determination to make things better.
For others, impossibly out-of-reach home ownership and the prospect of paying ever-rising rents was key.
Beyond elections, young people are increasingly looking for more meaning in life than what capitalism offers. They are seeking ways to have a positive impact in their communities, while they struggle with getting by in a cost-of-living and housing crisis.
Despite often working two or three jobs, being stuck on punishingly low JobSeeker payments and burdened by student debts, young people are finding ways, big or small, to fight back.
This election has proven, once again, that there is a growing appetite among youth for a fair and just world that cares for people and the planet, rather than lining the pockets of the super rich.
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