A young climate change protester has interrupted a major mental health funding announcement by Anthony Albanese, saying climate change is impacting young people's mental health. Where does climate change sit on the list of concerns for young people this election?

“You’re condemning young people like me to a life of climate disasters — of course we have poor mental health issues!” cried protester Alexa Stuart, a 21-year-old from climate action group Rising Tide mid-way through Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s press conference today.

“When will you listen to young people?”

Albanese was announcing a $1 billion dollar increase to mental health access and support, including $500 million for Youth Specialist Care Centres. The funding announcement follows Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s own pledge of $400 million towards mental health during his budget reply speech.

“Mr Albanese, you say you care about young people — and yet since getting elected your government has approved 33 new coal and gas projects!” Stuart yelled as she was hauled away by security.

The Australia Institute’s Coal Mine Tracker says the federal government has approved 10 new coal mines since it was elected in May 2022 and there are another 22 proposals for new or expanded coal mines awaiting approval.

Two-thirds of young Australians believe climate concerns are having a negative impact on youth mental health, while over three in four young people are concerned about climate change, according to a survey conducted by YouGov sampling 1,000 Australian citizens aged 16-25 in 2023.

  • Sasha [They/Them]
    3·
    8 days ago

    Oh I’m aware, I said as much in another comment. Sorry, I’ve mislead you on what I meant.

    My problem with voting is that the entire system of government in this country does not do anything to meaningfully address the problems of entire swathes of the population, and voting does very very little to address that.

    It appears to work, if you’re sufficiently privileged to not be among those persecuted, oppressed, raped and murdered by those in power. There are individual issues that are sufficiently mainstream so as to be addressible in this way, and climate change is one of them, but even still we needed to have made major change a long time ago; the past 20 years has already proven it wasn’t able to tackle climate change adequately.

    I also never said we weren’t using a preferential system. Idk if you follow any of the media analysis but the fact that all anyone cares about is the two party preferred vote should tell you enough about how much of a monopoly they have on power. Yes a minority government would be great, as I said earlier that’s what everyone in climate activism is working for now. The point is that not doing the activism and relying exclusively on voting is insufficient.