Climate change, Indigenous reconciliation, cost of living priority issues for young voters this federal election

In a week's time, Australians will head to the polls to cast their votes in the 2025 federal election and, for the country's 1.4 million first-time voters, climate and cost of living are front of mind.

As pundits predict a tight contest on May 3, young voters in Victoria say Indigenous reconciliation, housing, Medicare, and HECS debt reforms are their key issues.
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Ballarat-based Melbourne University student, May Bourke, 20, will be voting for the first time this election.

Her choice will be informed by election policies on gender equality, Indigenous reconciliation, and environmental issues.

"It's 2025 and it feels as if we're just going downhill so rapidly," she said.
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Ms Bourke said she was worried about the changes happening in America and the United Kingdom regarding gender equality and transgender rights, which she did not want to see here.

"It's so important that everybody in our country has equal rights and equal access to everything," she said.

For the Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in linguistics, deciding who to vote for came easily.

"I'm so aware of who I'm going to vote for and I have since I turned 18. I know what I value," Ms Bourke said.

"It's our future this election will impact, and [young adults] know a lot more than people give us credit for."

Like many other young people, Ms Bourke said social media was where she got most of her political information.

In particular, Ms Bourke listens to influencer Abbie Chatfield's podcast It's A Lot.

"[Abbie's] been getting all different types of politicians onto her podcast, so I've been getting a lot of my information and better education around specific policies from her," Ms Bourke said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was interviewed by influencer Abbie Chatfield on her podcast, It's A Lot. (Supplied: Instagram)
Paying for health

Aiden Shearer, who moved to Australia from Indonesia in 2015, will also be voting for the first time.

The 20-year-old photography student lives in the Chisholm electorate in Melbourne's east and said affordable medical care was a big issue for him.

Photography student Aiden Shearer wants to see rent increase caps this election. (Supplied: Aiden Shearer)

"I've had to find a dentist that takes Afterpay," Mr Shearer said.

Mr Shearer said he believed that neurodivergent diagnoses should also be eligible for Medicare rebates.

"I've been trying to get an ADHD diagnosis for years now, but it's about $1,000 to see a psychologist," he said.

Rental price caps are another issue that will sway Mr Shearer's vote, after his family had to move house to another suburb when their rent increased.

Facing a second rent rise at their new home, Mr Shearer said he may have to move out of the family home.

A combination of his family's views, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and ABC's Vote Compass tools have also helped inform who he will vote for in this election.
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In terms of social media, Mr Shearer said memes typically "grab [his] attention."

One particular politician, Greens Senator Nick McKim has caught the eye of Mr Shearer through his Fortnite streams on a platform called Twitch.

"He's just really funny while also advocating," Mr Shearer said.
Moving out

For full-time university student and retail worker, Natalie Fleming, housing policy was at the forefront of her mind.

Natalie Fleming, first-time voter, would like to see more honesty from politicians this election. (Supplied: Natalie Fleming)

Unlike her mother, who moved out of home at her daughter's current age, the 20-year-old would be living at home for the foreseeable future.

"I want to own a home before I'm 30, but I don't think that's possible", Ms Fleming said.

The RMIT journalism student, who will also vote in the electorate of Chisholm, said the cost of her degree was an exorbitant amount of money and something she wanted to see addressed.

"We're going to be carrying around these debts for the rest of our lives," she said.

"It's not fair, and it should change."

Ms Fleming also wanted to see climate change issues addressed, reforms to bulk-billing, funding for mental health services continued, and a commitment to women's rights.

As a swinging voter who remained undecided, Ms Fleming said more honesty from politicians could influence her choice.

"They try to sell the dream and tell us all these incredible things that they're going to achieve, and then they don't," she said.

"It really annoys me."

For Ms Fleming, TikTok and Instagram were the main sources of her political information.

"I watch small clips from Abbie Chatfield on TikTok as well as advertisements from the Liberal Party, Greens, and Labor", Ms Fleming said.

"Talking with friends as well is really important. They have the same values as I do, and so those conversations really help."
The role of 'new social media'

Media expert Denis Muller said "new social media" like podcasts and TikTok were the most effective way of engaging younger voters in politics due to influencer culture.

Dr Denis Muller, says while influencers must not be confused with journalists, they still have a role to play. (Supplied: Denis Muller)

Dr Muller, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism, said social media was equally appealing to politicians to platform their policies because of its large audience.

"There was one [influencer] where Anthony Albanese gave them a 90-minute interview," Dr Muller said.

"The ABC couldn't get the prime minister on for 90 minutes."

Dr Muller said that although influencers made a "terrific contribution" engaging young voters, they were not "impartial" journalists.

"Influencers don't go in for [the] grilling," Dr Muller said.

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