I believe there is a desperate need to change the way the Australian parliament operates. Most particularly, the role of oppositions, and the crucial role they play in the development and progression of this country. Although I am going to use the Federal Parliament as an exemplar to highlight the issue at hand, the need for reform applies to all tiers of government.
My point of view might be hard for some to grasp, seeing as I negate the need for oppositions to do what their title suggests: oppose. It has become penchant for oppositions to simply oppose all measures that a government offers. In no way am I weighing into the legitimacy of the 'mandate' debate, but rather believe that the people we elect into opposition, as dichotomous as that sounds, have more of a role to play than simply voting against the government, be it an ideological indifference or otherwise.
For as long as I can recall, oppositions derived from all sides of the political spectrum have failed to provide alternate options to the ones they oppose. Being only 18 years old, I have only had the capacity to grasp the last 5 years or so. Despite only engaging from the last years of John Howard, and ever since, I can easily say that a trend has emerged. And it is getting worse.
Now, I don't want to be misunderstood here, but I do understand that people reside in different political parties because of their ideological beliefs. And in that, have every reason to not agree or support the policies of a rival party. But what we young Australians want, isn't an opposition who can criticise a government for having a go and offering their policies, but one that too gives forward their alternate solution.
In the world of the 24 hour news cycle, parties have become obsessed with winning votes, and somehow lost sight of the real task at hand. That task being the development and progression of Australia and its people. That sentence really rolls off the tongue, and to most seems an easy phrase to enact. But our politicians forgot that somewhere along the line. And today was a perfect example..
Today the Australian Labor Party launched it's new way to win back votes - a website to expose Prime Minister Abbott's lies. And in doing so, used their imagination and called it 'Abbott's Lies' - how ingenious I know! By all accounts, the glossy and well developed site is no small feat, and in this internet age is bound to convince some people to change their opinion.
But for all the time, money and effort that has gone in to developing, producing and now advertising this site; couldn't the ALP have developed a series of policy alternatives to what the government is opposing? That's what we not only want, but expect. It is no secret that the Labor Party wants to return to government at the next election - no party ever wants to lose. But it is their hubris in believing that they can wait till the election to offer any ideas.
We need oppositions to realise this. We need them to create a competition of ideas well before an election campaign begins. The young people of this great country deserve more, and would revel in the opportunity to choose between solutions and moreover, offer our own ideas. If we spent more time solution focused, rather than playing politics - think of how much better of this country would be.
Have you got any idea?
Tuesday 5 August 2014
Monday 4 August 2014
Generation Z - The Unknown Generation
Walk up to a
friend or family member and get them to tell you about Generation Z. I
bet most people wouldn't have a clue what they stand for, what defines
them and who actually falls into this category. I must admit, a few days
ago I didn't realise that I fell into this generational category.
That's because most people have no clue about our existence. That isn't
because we aren't pragmatic or because we are so caught up in our
plethora of technological devices - quite the contrary actually. It is
because most of us have thought we belonged to Generation Y. The term
has been so interchangeably used to describe young people for so long,
that we unknowingly fell into the wrong group.
Although Generation Y and Z have similar characteristics, having grown up in not too disparate social and physical contexts, the pair are worlds apart in their attitudes, approach and expectations. This piece aims to clarify the parameters in which today's youth are generationally categorised, and implicit positivity and opportunity that is mandatory to being the typical Gen Z.
This whole notion of Generation Z came to me from reading an article published in The Australian. It cited that Generation Z was 'a more driven, less vain, more puritanical cohort that is poised to make its mark on the world' - and I totally agreed. I continued to read and I came to the realisation that I and people my age fitted the mold almost perfectly. I got to the end of the article and was overwhelmingly fascinated with the concept that, only a few minutes prior, was completely foreign to me. I suppose I could equate it to being told you were Australian, after 18 years of believing you were a Kiwi (oh the horror!). I and everyone else my age have gone around, living out our youth, accepting that we were Gen Y. Now that I know that I am not, and never was a Gen Y, I can look back and honestly say that I never really belonged there.
Without creating an 'us and them' mentality - Generation Z are the envy of all other generations. We are the kids who were born after 1995 and were able to catch televisions shows such as the Teletubbies, always wanting that endless supply of custard that Laa-Laa and Po enjoyed daily (And yes, if you don't get the analogy, you are probably not one of us). We were caught up not only in the turn of the century, but a technological shift like no other. We were those awkward children who were unsure whether to play outside or play computer, and somehow managed the right equilibrium. Of course, because the social context has changed so rapidly over the past decade, it is impossible to set out a clear cut experience for those fortunate enough to fall in Gen Z. The dynamic nature of modern times, adds to the complexity of a clear set of generational experiences, dissimilar to those previous. In my attempt to clarify Generation Z, I am merely setting out my experience, expectations, attitudes, hopes and dreams.
Looking into the notion of 'Gen Z' taught me a few very valuable things: that you cannot simply define a generation, especially given the pace of change in today's world; and secondly, that Generation Z is a very poor choice of title given the uniqueness of our worldview, our ingenuity and our pragmatism. To simply (and lazily) name every generation alphabetically disregards their individualism and identity - not only Gen Z, but every generation is worth more than that. Social commentators have self-fulfillingly called us iGen and TechGen, and I return the serve with my middle finger, because generalising doesn't sit well with me. I would prefer a name along the lines of the Diverse Generation. Not to be politically correct, or to be morally righteous by not excluding anyone, but it is the only way to properly associate the almost 2.2 billion people worldwide who fall into this category. The title also espouses the strong sense of social justice and equality that is common among us. This whole idea of the right name for the mundanely accepted title of Gen Z, raises the question: Do we need to group people by their generation of birth? I'll leave that for you to decide.
Despite my opposition to laying a generalised and broad statement to define the most diverse cohort of people on the planet, these are a few of the attributes that set us apart from the rest. Generation Z requires constant and ever changing stimulation - we simply don't accept the norm, rather, we challenge it and seek to know the answers to the questions that come our way. We are constantly seek the to ensure that we are not settling for second best, for both ourselves and the broader world. We push ideas, motions, proposals and projects to their limit, so that we can be satisfied that the best result can be achieved, with the knowledge that we gave it our all.
Generation Z searches for meaning in their life experiences, whether it be the tennis match with friend or a bush walk in pristine forest. We understand the shortness of our existence and embrace every moment. This links in to our new and unlimited interconnectedness with the those closest to us and the outside world. We express our meaningful embrace of life through pictures on instagram and updates on Facebook, unlike generations gone by.
A recent pictorial developed by Mark McCrindle, author of 'The ABC of XYZ - Understanding Global Generations' painted a setting of the things that we should expect being a part of Gen Z. To just name a few:
- We will work on average 17 jobs and live in 15 different homes;
- When we reach retirement (2063) the average salary will be $222,000;
- We use technology 10 hours and 19 minutes of every day;
- And, use acronyms more than any generation previous.
The picture is a daunting one, with figures and estimates that seem well out of our reach, but nonetheless, we will take it in our stride and be solution orientated rather than entrenched in the expectations.
Having grown up in the face of global warming, international political instability and recent economic crises, we have a sensitivity and expectation of maturity well beyond our years. We are more socially aware than any generation before us, yet our engagement in politics is at an all time low. We have every opportunity to know what is going on and how it affects us, yet Gen Z doesn't care. I myself buck the trend, and live to expand my generations interest in such an important aspect of life. The ability to influence decisions that will affect you should not be underestimated, and the importance of getting young people both involved and engaged is paramount. We are a pragmatic, thoughtful, aware, connected, diligent, prudent, puritanical, positive and opportunistic generation with only one more yet to be our defining character, Political.
If you want to learn more about the illustrious Gen Z, check out www.generationz.com.au
Although Generation Y and Z have similar characteristics, having grown up in not too disparate social and physical contexts, the pair are worlds apart in their attitudes, approach and expectations. This piece aims to clarify the parameters in which today's youth are generationally categorised, and implicit positivity and opportunity that is mandatory to being the typical Gen Z.
This whole notion of Generation Z came to me from reading an article published in The Australian. It cited that Generation Z was 'a more driven, less vain, more puritanical cohort that is poised to make its mark on the world' - and I totally agreed. I continued to read and I came to the realisation that I and people my age fitted the mold almost perfectly. I got to the end of the article and was overwhelmingly fascinated with the concept that, only a few minutes prior, was completely foreign to me. I suppose I could equate it to being told you were Australian, after 18 years of believing you were a Kiwi (oh the horror!). I and everyone else my age have gone around, living out our youth, accepting that we were Gen Y. Now that I know that I am not, and never was a Gen Y, I can look back and honestly say that I never really belonged there.
Without creating an 'us and them' mentality - Generation Z are the envy of all other generations. We are the kids who were born after 1995 and were able to catch televisions shows such as the Teletubbies, always wanting that endless supply of custard that Laa-Laa and Po enjoyed daily (And yes, if you don't get the analogy, you are probably not one of us). We were caught up not only in the turn of the century, but a technological shift like no other. We were those awkward children who were unsure whether to play outside or play computer, and somehow managed the right equilibrium. Of course, because the social context has changed so rapidly over the past decade, it is impossible to set out a clear cut experience for those fortunate enough to fall in Gen Z. The dynamic nature of modern times, adds to the complexity of a clear set of generational experiences, dissimilar to those previous. In my attempt to clarify Generation Z, I am merely setting out my experience, expectations, attitudes, hopes and dreams.
Looking into the notion of 'Gen Z' taught me a few very valuable things: that you cannot simply define a generation, especially given the pace of change in today's world; and secondly, that Generation Z is a very poor choice of title given the uniqueness of our worldview, our ingenuity and our pragmatism. To simply (and lazily) name every generation alphabetically disregards their individualism and identity - not only Gen Z, but every generation is worth more than that. Social commentators have self-fulfillingly called us iGen and TechGen, and I return the serve with my middle finger, because generalising doesn't sit well with me. I would prefer a name along the lines of the Diverse Generation. Not to be politically correct, or to be morally righteous by not excluding anyone, but it is the only way to properly associate the almost 2.2 billion people worldwide who fall into this category. The title also espouses the strong sense of social justice and equality that is common among us. This whole idea of the right name for the mundanely accepted title of Gen Z, raises the question: Do we need to group people by their generation of birth? I'll leave that for you to decide.
Despite my opposition to laying a generalised and broad statement to define the most diverse cohort of people on the planet, these are a few of the attributes that set us apart from the rest. Generation Z requires constant and ever changing stimulation - we simply don't accept the norm, rather, we challenge it and seek to know the answers to the questions that come our way. We are constantly seek the to ensure that we are not settling for second best, for both ourselves and the broader world. We push ideas, motions, proposals and projects to their limit, so that we can be satisfied that the best result can be achieved, with the knowledge that we gave it our all.
Generation Z searches for meaning in their life experiences, whether it be the tennis match with friend or a bush walk in pristine forest. We understand the shortness of our existence and embrace every moment. This links in to our new and unlimited interconnectedness with the those closest to us and the outside world. We express our meaningful embrace of life through pictures on instagram and updates on Facebook, unlike generations gone by.
A recent pictorial developed by Mark McCrindle, author of 'The ABC of XYZ - Understanding Global Generations' painted a setting of the things that we should expect being a part of Gen Z. To just name a few:
- We will work on average 17 jobs and live in 15 different homes;
- When we reach retirement (2063) the average salary will be $222,000;
- We use technology 10 hours and 19 minutes of every day;
- And, use acronyms more than any generation previous.
The picture is a daunting one, with figures and estimates that seem well out of our reach, but nonetheless, we will take it in our stride and be solution orientated rather than entrenched in the expectations.
Having grown up in the face of global warming, international political instability and recent economic crises, we have a sensitivity and expectation of maturity well beyond our years. We are more socially aware than any generation before us, yet our engagement in politics is at an all time low. We have every opportunity to know what is going on and how it affects us, yet Gen Z doesn't care. I myself buck the trend, and live to expand my generations interest in such an important aspect of life. The ability to influence decisions that will affect you should not be underestimated, and the importance of getting young people both involved and engaged is paramount. We are a pragmatic, thoughtful, aware, connected, diligent, prudent, puritanical, positive and opportunistic generation with only one more yet to be our defining character, Political.
If you want to learn more about the illustrious Gen Z, check out www.generationz.com.au
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