But others sense it. “The government raising everyday costs does get in the way of the things I want to do to some degree,” mused one respondent. Another said that “government has helped slightly with benefits but also gotten in my way, as laws, rules and regulations make it very difficult for my age group to achieve education and steady employment/income.”
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The most generationally equitable measure – fair to the old and young alike – is to allow the economy to flourish. The economic roundtable identified the need to cut back on red tape, which is a good start. But there was also a lot of talk from unions about reducing business flexibility, which is not. Secure and fulfilling careers are not legislated; these are created by businesses which see opportunities and invest in the people needed to seize them.
As a Mitchell Institute report busting the hysteria around apprenticeship uptake and completions observed some years ago, “genuine labour market needs, rather than access to government incentives, should drive growth”. That is, businesses hire, train and retain employees when they have a reasonable expectation of future demand and profit. Government subsidies or incentives can create temporary statistical blips, but they don’t change real-world outcomes.
Family came next in importance in the minds of interviewees, after financial and career goals, in a sequence which has previously been observed in many other studies. But having children is only an aspirational goal for many, rather than a milestone they look forward to. Many had revised their expectation that they would have kids, or as many kids as they wanted, due to economic factors. As one respondent said, “my boyfriend doesn’t get paid super well and the cost-of-living crisis is very grim, so l have to be realistic with goals for how many kids I can afford”. But the desire for “the basics” is strong. This is a progressive-leaning generation with fundamentally conservative priorities: a job, a home, a family.
Across diverse backgrounds and circumstances, respondents expressed a strong desire for autonomy, independence, and the ability to make meaningful choices about their lives. A perspicacious government or a prospecting opposition would do well to consider these currents. Ripping Band-Aids off hurts for a moment, but a bit of pain is worth it to heal the hopes and optimism of a generation.
Parnell Palme McGuinness is managing director at campaigns firm Agenda C. She has done work for the Liberal Party and the German Greens.
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