Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The cost of living affects us all, but it's different for Australia's young people. Affected by uncertainty, inequality and instability, they have their whole lives ahead of them yet they have no sense of what their quality of life will be.

Last week I hosted an event with members of Goldstein's Gen Zoe youth movement, at the Brix Bar in Brighton. It was a great turnout of some of the most passionate young people in my electorate, ranging from year 12 students to university students, from fresh graduates to young adults in the workforce. We had hospo workers, tradies, a few parents and some old faces from my 2022 campaign. The event was an opportunity for gen Z and millennials to raise their voices on what's most important to them but most of all for me not only to listen to their uncertainty, their fears and their anger but also to hear their hope. This is Gen Zoe—the passion of our young generations to speak up and chase the future that they deserve and that we, as leaders in this place, must help provide. They make us listen. They do politics differently.

Members of this movement who came along were asked what they want to see done differently and what their key concerns are, and Canberra better be ready to hear it: cost of living; intergenerational equity; interest rates; tax reform; housing shortages; renter rights; minimum wages for hospo; and 'Zoe is brat'—I'll take it! You've probably picked up the obvious theme here, and it's not Charli XCX's new album; it's the reality that for Australia's young generation the future is uncertain and they believe the government isn't doing enough to fix it.

Gen Z and millennials are struggling with the soaring list of financial pressures. The cost of living is climbing and many young people are struggling to cover their basic living expenses. For most, the idea of getting a mortgage isn't even on the radar. Whether it's the price of a myki fare, the prohibitive cost of entertainment or outrageous supermarket grocery bills, every expense adds to the burden.

Soaring cost-of-living pressures have deeper social consequences: queues to inspect just one rental property on a weekend; living at home with your parents for longer; fewer people out on a Saturday night; and huge challenges to access mental health support if needed. To cope, millennials and gen Z are forgoing the experiences which eventually turn into core memories that are vital to growing up.

I'm determined to bring the voices of the Goldstein Gen Zoe group to Canberra. The system as it stands is failing them. I'm listening and I'm fighting for the future they deserve.

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