Don’t ignore youth

THERE has been a lot of airtime given in recent weeks to the federal Opposition’s franking credit policy.

Depending on which side of politics you are on, the ALP’s plan to eliminate cash refunds associated with franking credits has been labelled either a tax on retirees or a responsible way to right an unfair policy.

The plan has certainly been divisive and is being credited as part of the reason for the Government’s improved standing in recent polls.

But while the bulk of the current political discourse circles around retirees, evidence suggests that one significant group of undecided voters is being looked over.

A survey by the Australian Millennial Report has found that there is a huge percentage of millennial voters who have yet to decide where they will be casting their ballot at May’s federal election.

Of those surveyed, 46 per cent of women and 32 per cent of men who were born between 1982 and 1999 identified as being undecided, while a whopping 45 per cent of regional Millennials were also sitting on the fence.

Interestingly, the lowest support for the government came from Queensland Millennials — despite much of the pre-election unofficial campaigning centring on the state — while Victorian Millennials were more likely to re-elect the Morrison government into power.

Across the board, those surveyed were most concerned with cost of living, the economy and housing affordability, while financial education, mental health and nutrition also rated highly on their list of priorities.

Millennials have often been easily dismissed as carefree and disengaged. But as the top spending demographic in the country, their dollars wield power — and it appears that in this election their votes will too.

The high numbers of undecided Millennials would suggest that the current political strategies are not connecting with them. If the major parties want to swing a huge swath of votes their way, maybe it’s time to focus on a demographic other than retirees.