Danger seen for "have-not’ groups in Australia, N.Z.

Press, 5 September 1981, Page 4

Danger seen for "have-not’ groups in Australia, N.Z.

Both Australia and NewZealand were in danger of having a group of young people in a disadvantaged “have not” category, the president of the Victorian Young Liberals, Mr Stephen Robin, has said in Christchurch.

The problems of youth unemployent in Australia and New Zealand were similar. although there were many more young people out of work in Australia, he said. Only one out of every 15 young people aged between 15 and 20 had a job, and the rate of unemployment among female/ teen-agers was particularly high. “We do not want to see young people.consigned to a separate category in society where they are permanently out of a job or the first to be tipped out of a job,” Mr Robin said. “They should not be seen as a pool that bears the burden of any harsh economic policies that have to be taken."

Mr Robin has been visiting New Zealand for a week with the vice-president of the Young Liberals in Victoria, Ms Louise Asher, at the invitation of Young Nationals. They have attended the Dominion council meeting of the National Party and an executive meeting of the Young Nationals.

Ms Asher, a secondary? school teacher, said that the visit aimed to foster rela-

tions and encourage an exchange of ideas between Young Liberals and Young Nationals. They wished to improve their understanding of the political situation in New Zealand.

The two organisations were similar. although Young Nationals was more involved with electoral campaigns. Because Australia had compulsory voting, Young Liberals was not geared to get voters out and worked more as an independent voice.

Young Liberals were active in making policy and had been described as the conscience of the party, said Ms Asher.

“If we do noj act as the conscience of the party, and push an idealistic view of the

world, nobody else will," said Mr Robin. Their organisation had a lot of “clout,” he said. Policies on which the Young Liberals had had an influence included rape law reform, the abolition of capital punishment, the legalisation of homosexuality, and the compulsory wearing of seat belts. While the organisation w-as very much a training group for future Liberal Party politicians. it was not just the mouthpiece of the party to young people. It was the voice of the young people to the party. Ms Asher, who had been “very impressed” with the quality of women candidates in New Zealand, said that the Young Liberals strongly supported issues involving individual choice such as abortion and homosexuality. Its policy was that people should be free to do what they wished provided they did not harm others. The organisation was strongly opposed to the Springbok tour of New Zealand. Mr Robin said that the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) should have taken the stronger option of refusing visas to the team. However, the approach of the anti-tour demonstrators had been “despicable” and Mr Muldoon was right to take a strong stand on law and order. Mr Robin said that he did

not know enough about the New Zealand situation to comment on Mr Muldoon’s release of the Security Intelligence Service’s list of "subversives and radicals." While there would be no lasting damage to New Zealand's reputation in Australia over the Springbok tour issue, Mr Robin said, there was a feeling that New Zealand had "let the side down” in its approach to racism. The Young Liberals supSrted policies to improve 3 position of Aboriginals in Australia, said Mr Robin, who is the personal assistant to the Victorian Minister of Immigration' and Ethnic Affairs. However, he agreed that Australia “had a lot to answer for” to its Aboriginal population.