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This day has been a long time coming for us. It is a very exciting day marking the beginning of a new era in youth affairs in Australia, and more particularly, a new era in Government communication with young Australians and the youth sector

We’ve committed to being a Government for all Australians – and that means young Australians too- so I am delighted today to officially launch the Australian Youth Forum.

This initiative is breaking new ground and is about changing the way young people engage in public discussion and debate.

Ours is a government that, right from the very start has been strongly committed to doing things differently and making a difference for young Australians.

Beginning with the re-establishment of the youth portfolio and the appointment of the first federal minister for Youth in over four years, the Prime Minister made it clear that this Government will give young people a seat at the table, ensure that your voices are heard and your issues and interests are firmly on our agenda.

That’s why in our first budget, we dedicated $8million over four years to honouring our election commitment to young Australians through the establishment of the AYF.

For far too long I believe that young people have not been empowered to speak up and take their rightful place in public discussion.

It’s my view that over the past decade, young people have been very much a silenced group; at Universities, had their rights stripped away in workplaces, had their participation tokenised.

The reality is that we need to hear what young people today have to say about their experiences and circumstances- because we recognise that they face unique challenges and issues quite unlike those faced by generations before them.

As I look around the Parliament at my colleagues I realise that most of their experiences of being young were so vastly different to the experiences of those aged 15-24 today.

They didn’t face the challenges that you have now in terms of buying their first home, paying for an education, contemplating the future consequences of climate change.

As I look around the room here this morning, I recognise even I, despite being young-ish and as I do, fancying myself as being somewhat in-touch, didn’t face anywhere near the sorts of extreme pressures that I know are now on young people in relation to body image, drug and alcohol use, the rates of depression, suicide and self-harm amongst their peers.

Our Government knows that you are grappling with all sorts of issues today that we didn’t. That’s why we have committed to giving you a seat at the table and new opportunities to get involved in public discussion about issues that matter to you.

As the Minister for Youth I am firmly of the belief that yours is a generation that should not be expected to wait your turn.

I know that there will be plenty of nay-sayers dissecting this morning’s announcement who will no doubt make the claim that young people are apathetic and disengaged and that opportunities such as this are wasted on the young.

The reality is that there is groundswell movement of young people in this country who want to be vocal, involved and engaged.

But I believe the other issue is that young people have been cynical about and disengaged from public debate as a consequence of the failure of governments to provide a compelling enough invitation, not to mention the right sort of avenues and opportunities to engage in.

So today I get to issue the invitation from the Rudd Government- as well as give the introduction to the framework created to provide those much needed new opportunities for engagement.

My strong belief is that we cannot afford for this generation of young Australians to sit back and wait. We need you now.

Not just because you are "the future" or "our future leaders" as has been so commonly trotted out in justification for "youth participation" in the past.

But rather because you are here now, and you have some really valuable perspectives, ideas and insights, not just in terms of "youth issues" or what’s affecting you right now, but also on the big challenges facing our entire community and nation into the future.

This was certainly underlined for me through the 2020 Youth Summit in April this year.

But the message about why we should be engaging young people was made loud and clear through the public consultation process that we conducted on the best model for the AYF earlier this year.

We heard nearly 1000 voices, many of them young people directly, through the consultation.

And what was very apparent was the fact that young people are the best experts on their own lives.

It was also very clear that there is a wealth of insight to be gained from not only listening to the young people who are already active and vocal, but there is also a much broader group to be tapped into, who might have never previously expressed a view or even thought it worthwhile having an opinion let alone expressed it to government.

And it is the intention to ensure inclusivity and broad accessibility that fundamentally underpins the framework for the AYF.  

The AYF model

A recent study of young people and democracy by the Whitlam Institute pointed to a generational shift away from the traditional, institutional forms of political participation like voting, membership of political parties and unions.

But that doesn’t mean young people aren’t interested and knowledgeable; or don’t want to participate and get involved. On the contrary. The evidence is that there is now increased engagement through new ways of participating, and these are often related to specific causes and issues.

Participation by young people is also being transformed by the internet and new media. Importantly, the research suggests that young people value engagement with democracy and decision-making which is culturally relevant, flexible, effective, makes a difference to them personally and even fun. Family background, gender and ethnicity also affect how young people engage in the democratic process.

There are some fundamental underlying principles we’ve established for the new Australian Youth Forum:

• It should be relevant for all young Australians with diverse life experiences and needs.
• It should enable young Australians to become active citizens whose views matter, as the Government develops new approaches and policies.
• It must reach out to all young Australians, particularly those who are geographically isolated and socially disadvantaged.
• It has to be accessible and provide young Australians and the youth sector with the opportunity to express views and ideas in a range of ways and through a variety of channels.
• And there needs to be clearly defined feedback mechanisms to ensure that the ideas and views expressed are considered.

The framework that I am launching today is just the beginning.

It will evolve over time, shaped by your feedback and by advice and input from the AYF Steering Committee and the national youth peak body. It will adapt to meet changing needs and as we assess and evaluate how it’s going.

There will be a range of activities under the banner of the Australian Youth Forum.

Through Youth Engagement, the forum will focus on engaging young people in direct communication with Government.

For example we’ll hold forums across the country in multiple locations. We may be able to support the forums by live video or satellite conferencing.

There’ll be an interactive website where anyone will be able to post their ideas and suggestions. The website has been created to make the Australian Youth Forum accessible, particularly with those young people in mind who might otherwise find it difficult to get involved in a local forum or discussion. www.youth.gov.au/ayf.

Personally of course I want to meet face-to-face with young people- particularly to go out to those who live in remote or regional areas, to meet with particular groups of young people on their own turf.

The AYF Steering Committee will provide advice on the future shape and activities of the Australian Youth Forum, and give young people the chance to be directly involved in decision making processes about the forum. I’ll talk a little more about the committee and introduce you to the members shortly.

The Australian Youth Forum will also focus on involving the youth sector which plays such a critical role in advocating on behalf of young people. The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, the national youth peak body, will have a crucial role. 

I am pleased to announce funding under the AYF to support the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition—the AYAC—the national youth peak body.

We’ve committed $400 000 annually over the next four years to support the AYAC in its role as an independent voice and advocate of young people and the youth sector.

Thank you Luke Bo’sher, the AYAC Chair, and his colleagues for their voluntary commitment to young people and the youth sector over the years following the defunding of the previous peak body AYPAC in 1999.

I want to acknowledge those of you in the room today who have continued to do your very best over that time without the support of federal funding, to coordinate the youth sector, ensure national collaboration and persist in advocating on behalf of young people and those who work with and on behalf of youth.

I look forward as Minister to working with you going forward. 

We have also set aside dedicated funding for research support to ensure that decisions and actions are supported by solid evidence and best practice.

I will work with the national youth peak to ensure that this research funding and support is directed where it is most needed for the AYF.  

Now I am also pleased to announce the members of the inaugural Australian Youth Forum Steering Committee for 2008/09. 

The Steering Committee will be central to the decision making and direction setting for the AYF going forward. I listened very closely to the message that came through loud and clear from the public consultation process that young people and youth-led organisations should play a key role in shaping and leading the initiative. The following individuals were chosen for their expertise and experience in youth engagement and will be closely advising me and making key decisions relating to the AYF going forward.

Congratulations to Rachel Farley, Kerrina Tamiano, Ben Easton, Khadija Gbla, Tim Goodwin, Simon Sheikh representing Vibewire, Angus McFarland, Alice Bleby, Alana Smith, David Toovey and Luke Bo’sher. Please join me in congratulating the members of the Steering Committee. Could those members join me on stage.

This group have already been hard at work planning for the first series of local forums- that will not be called forums- they tell me the term is not dynamic enough sounding for what we envisage- to be held in late February.

And they will be playing a key role in championing youth engagement through the AYF from here on.

It will be my role as Minister to follow up, front up and provide feedback on the ideas and recommendations emerging through the AYF.

And I have no illusions about always agreeing with the ideas, nor young Australians always agreeing with us.

But what I am excited about is the contribution that this new framework will make to a vibrant and healthy democracy- to rowdy public debates, to serious discussion and to the cultivation of a new generation of young people embracing the opportunity to get their voices heard and their views known.

Earlier this year I met with an organisation in New York called the Global Youth Action Network. They are the heart of a global youth participation movement and advise for example, UN agencies on the best ways of engaging with young people.

They were rather taken aback that I wanted to meet with them and actually remarked that they had never before, despite their substantial international work in this sphere over several years, encountered a Minister nor a Government that actually, genuinely wanted to find new ways of engaging with young people. They made it plain to me that as far as best practice goes, what we are setting up here through the AYF, sets this Government apart from others internationally.

So this is not only exciting but also daunting because this is very much about treading new territory and taking on a huge task.

And that’s where you all come in.

Because whilst I will continue to be a vocal advocate of what the AYF is all about, from here on, it is going to be about convincing young Australians that its worth taking the opportunity to have their say.

I didn’t just invite you all here today to meet Robbie Buck and listen to "is" playing and have some morning tea, I also have a call to action for you.

To each of you I ask that you go out there and spread the word through your networks, get posting on the website and get involved.

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