Wheels Of Change To Turn

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday April 15, 2008

By KATELIN McINERNEY

CONNECTIONS forged over the weekend between attendees to the 2020 Youth Summit in Canberra would have a far-reaching impact, one Illawarra delegate believes.

University of Wollongong student David Wassink said the four delegates from the region would spend the week recovering from the hectic, two-day ideas fest that fostered robust debate about the future direction of Australian government policy and raised several radical visions for 2020.

"It was a rough-as-guts-boiling-down discussion between 100 fantastic people to a few key points, but it was very worthwhile," he said. "We will all be keeping in touch in the future - the summit definitely put the wheels in motion for serious changes outside this weekend."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accepted the final communique of ideas and a standing ovation from youth summit delegates in Canberra on Sunday. The communique detailed 10 points of improvement to be discussed at the 2020 Australia Summit.

Suggestions included a new creative arts grants and funding system, paid parental leave and a recommendation to lower the voting age to 16.

"The premise behind that was that some delegates believe that if young people have the opportunity at age 16 to be paying taxes ... joining the Army ... doing countless things, like drive in some states, why shouldn't they be able to vote?" said 2020 Youth Summit co-chair, Young Australian of the Year Hugh Evans.

He was convinced the Government would listen.