Jacinda Ardern talks about her generation

[Jacinda Ardern, Labour's youngest MP and spokesperson for Youth Affairs, spoke at a recent Christchurch fundraising event in Lyttelton. She gave a lively and thoughtful insight into the generation of which she is part, Generation Y.]

If you were born between 1976 and 2001, you belong to Generation Y. Jacinda Ardern is Labour's youngest MP at 29 years old, which makes her a member of this group of New Zealanders. This qualified her as the perfect guide when she spoke concerning these young people at a recent meeting in Lyttelton.

Jacinda told us that Generation Y spends a third of their lives online, with 50% reading a blog and many getting a large amount of their information about the world from the internet. This gives access to a lot of information, but leaves these young people feeling torn. 50% want to spend more time with their family.

Commentators have described Generation Y as being more flexible and resourceful than previous generations. Being born around 1980 means you would have been looking to start your adult life in the 1990s.

Privatisation, job losses, user pays, income related rents were the features of those years. The response of Generation Y to this is to get a second job, postpone having a family and use their resourcefulness to carry on with their lives.

Jacinda noted this ability to carry on regardless creates a problem however. In relation to the political process, Generation Y don't participate. If these young people don't vote at the start of their lives, then it is unlikely they will vote in the future. Jacinda challenged us to find new ways to bring these young people in and make them part of the voting public.

There is no shortage of issues on which we need to hear the voice of Generation Y according to Jacinda. Prime Minister John Key, like many New Zealanders of his generation, was able to get his tertiary education for free. Now changes made by the Government put this under threat. Fees for loans, cut offs for new migrants and others are now steadily eroding this advantage.

ACC, and our access to 24 hour no fault accident cover is another area where the voice of Generation Y needs to be heard before it is lost. Attempts by the Government to create an impression of insolvency need to be challenged by young people before they are used to justify selling off the institution that will protect their health in the future.

New Zealanders have enjoyed the benefits of an universal pension, but it appears this is not going to be the case for Generation Y. The Government's cuts to the contributions made to the Superannuation Fund make the long term future of our pension scheme uncertain.

These concerns are why we need to get the attention of Generation Y and engage them in a political process that is changing their future.