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In this insightful episode of "The Expert Interview," host Miko Santos speaks with Luke Dean, an Associate Lecturer at Monash University School of Social Science and PhD candidate specializing in youth political engagement.
With Australia's federal election approaching on May 3rd, Luke offers valuable perspectives on young Australians' political participation, the challenges they face, and how the political landscape is evolving as Gen Z and Millennials become the dominant voting bloc. The conversation explores issues from social media's impact on political discourse to strategies for increasing youth representation in political office.
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In this episode, we cover:
Shifting Political Landscape: 2025 marks the first federal election where Gen Z and Millennials will outnumber Baby Boomers in the electorate, creating significant potential for political change.
Disconnection from Major Parties: Young Australians are increasingly disengaged from the two major political parties, with first-preference voting for these parties at historic lows among youth.
Social Media's Double-Edged Sword: While digital platforms increase youth political awareness, reduced moderation has led to concerning levels of misinformation during election cycles.
Financial Barriers: The prohibitive costs of running for office and insufficient remuneration, particularly at the local government level, prevent many young people from pursuing political careers.
Compulsory Voting Advantage: Australia's mandatory voting system results in significantly higher youth participation (70-95%) compared to voluntary systems in other democracies (40-50%).
🎙️ ABOUT OUR EXPERT
Currently working as a teaching associate with Monash University. Delivering a unit which focusses upon the Australian political system. The unit explores the government and politics of the Australian liberal democratic state.
It undertakes study of Australia's approach to Westminster governance, the development of the national constitution, the institutions of national government, federal-state relations, the political struggle that occurs between labour and capital to exert influence over the process of government, and the form and nature of Australia's system of representative democracy
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Associate Lecturer Luke Dean through Linkedin or ResearchGate
Detailed Synopsis
The episode begins with host Miko Santos introducing Luke Dean, whose research focuses on young people's political participation and representation. With Australia's federal election set for May 3rd, the timing of this conversation is particularly relevant.
Luke explains that while young Australians are highly engaged with political issues like housing affordability, climate change, and economic inequality, they feel disconnected from formal political processes. This disconnection stems from a perception that politicians and major parties are either unwilling or unable to address their concerns effectively.
The discussion highlights a significant demographic shift: 2025 will be the first election where Gen Z and Millennials collectively outnumber Baby Boomers in the electorate. Despite this growing electoral power, young voters are increasingly abandoning the two major parties in favor of minor parties, independents, and the Greens.
Luke emphasizes that young voters are not a monolithic group but share concerns about several key issues: housing affordability, precarious employment conditions, and climate change. He notes that political parties have largely failed to develop policies specifically addressing young Australians' needs during election cycles.
The conversation explores social media's transformative role in political engagement. As young people rarely consume traditional media, social platforms have become their primary source of political information and engagement. However, Luke warns that recent reductions in content moderation have led to increased misinformation and disinformation, particularly during election periods.
Luke identifies several barriers preventing young people from pursuing political office: cultural expectations about who can be a politician, financial constraints of campaigning, and inadequate remuneration (particularly at the local government level where councillors receive only about $20,000 annually). These factors contribute to the stark statistic that only 3% of Australian politicians across all levels of government were under 30 when elected.
The interview highlights the substantial positive impact of Australia's compulsory voting system, which results in 71-72% voter participation among 18-21 year-olds, rising to 90-95% for those 25 and older. This compares favorably to voluntary systems in countries like the UK and US, where youth turnout hovers around 40-50%.
Looking to the future, Luke predicts that without significant reform, young Australians will continue moving away from the two-party system toward minor parties. He anticipates more challenging political conversations about long-neglected issues like climate change, wealth inequality, and housing affordability.
The episode concludes with Luke calling for meaningful political engagement with young Australians beyond tokenistic policies, warning that failure to do so could lead to more extreme political movements similar to trends seen internationally.
What Readers Will Learn
The current state of youth political engagement in Australia ahead of the 2025 federal election
How Gen Z and Millennial voters differ from older demographics in their political concerns
The impact of social media and digital platforms on young voters' political perspectives
Barriers preventing young Australians from participating in politics as voters and candidates
Effective strategies to increase youth political representation and engagement
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