Why Is Scott Morrison Investing More Money Into Gas Than Young People’s Futures?

I just graduated from high school last week, wrapping up an incredibly challenging chapter of my life.

As if trying to study for exams during a pandemic, an economic recession, and a climate crisis wasn’t bad enough — my classmates and I now have to worry about price hikes for university fees.

These past months, the Federal Government has decided that it will create more “job-ready graduates” by increasing fees for arts and humanities courses, with some course fees doubled, pushing more students towards STEM, and nursing courses.

This isn’t fair. The way I see it, the point of university is to give young people the time to explore a range of subjects, discover what we’re passionate about, and empower us to pursue careers of our choosing.

This government is saying, “You don’t get to choose”. If you aspire to have a career in the arts and humanities, but you’re not rich — too bad.

I’m fortunate enough that my family will be able to support my interests. I am hoping that studying subjects like sociology, political science, and literature will help me forge a career that drives positive social change.

I know that many young people are in a similar position to me.

However, for many, the cost of their course is the deciding factor for whether or not they obtain a tertiary education. That’s sad to me, and it’s a symptom of a failing system.

University isn’t for everyone and that’s fine. But everyone who wants a tertiary education should be able to have one — and choose the courses they want to study. Why is a tertiary education only accessible for the rich and (mostly private school-educated) intelligent?

Investing In Gas Instead Of Young People

To make things worse, the same government that says there’s not enough money to fund uni courses apparently has billions of dollars to spend on funding gas businesses. As part of its post-COVID-19 economic recovery, the Federal Government plans to give billions to the gas industry.

This would see tax dollars being spent on a “recovery” that only turbocharges the climate crisis, threatens First Nations lands, and does nothing for those of us who will actually inherit the world after these politicians die.

Scientists and business experts have shown that investing in renewable energy and other sustainable industries can create hundreds of thousands of jobs. This can reboot the economy,  while at the same time funding our future.

So, if this government cares so much about us being “job-ready”, why doesn’t it listen to the experts and support the sectors that will address our economic challenges without contributing to climate change? Why gain an education when the government — unless it benefits them — won’t listen to the educated?

If they care so much about helping students, why are they wasting money on an industry that is guaranteed to wreck our future, while taking away money from the sectors that will give young people a good chance of success, like an education that can be applied to a variety of industries?

After all, studies have shown that there are hundreds of jobs that don’t exist yet. Shouldn’t we be ready to adapt by having flexible course options available to us?

We aren’t going to sit around and let them do this.

That’s why on September 25, School Strike 4 Climate’s Global Day of Action, 19 of my friends and I are holding a socially distanced, COVID-19-safe protest in Sydney to demand that the government fund our future, not gas!

Students across the country will be taking COVID-19-safe actions of their own, both online and offline. This is going to be Australia’s most widespread day of action for climate justice, with over 300 actions in Australia and 2,500 events globally.

There are hundreds of thousands of students that feel the way I do. Many of us have to wait a few years before we can vote, but in the meantime, we will teach this government a thing or two about how to protect our future.

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Imogen Kuah is an 18-year-old student and an organiser of the School Strike 4 Climate’s Global Day of Action on September 25.