Now the 2019 Federal Election Is Over, What Happens Next For Young People?

Here's what the next three years will bring for young people in Australia.

The Australian federal election was held over the weekend and the results surprised a lot of people.

Despite the country's biggest opinion polls consistently predicting a Labor win in the two-party preferred basis over the last three years, the Liberal National Party (LNP for short, or the 'Coalition') maintained control of the government. 

But all the shock and surprise aside, the next three years have been locked in with a Coalition government, so it's time to look at what that might mean for young Australians.

In the short term, who's in charge?

That would be the Liberal National Party, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. While votes are still being tallied for the House of Representatives as well as the Senate, it's quite clear, according to ABC election expert Antony Green, that the Coalition will win government.

What remains not entirely clear yet is whether they lead a government in their own right with a full majority or whether they'll need to secure support. 

Because there are 150 seats in the House of Representatives, to win government you need to win more than half, or 76 seats. However, as the government also needs to elect a Speaker for the house, that means they actually need 77 to be safe.

ABC's Antony Green is predicting the Coalition will just scrape in with 77 seats, but since a few are being held by a razor-thin margin, it could mean they'll need to get an independent (contrary to convention) to agree to take on the deciding role. 

Is this government good for climate change?

This really depends on who you ask but most people would say no and it's mostly because there are quite a few in the party that still aren't even sure climate change is a thing.

The Coalition also still supports coal power and is hesitant to invest in renewable energies, aside from their plans to extend the Snowy Hydro scheme.

START ADANI!

— Matthew Canavan (@mattjcan) May 18, 2019

Last year, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warned that if carbon emissions weren't cut by 45 per cent by 2030, the world would face more and more catastrophic weather events. 

The LNP pledged they would aim to cut emissions by 26-28 per cent of pre-2005 levels, about 20 per cent less than what the IPCC recommends is the minimum.

Sadly, effective action on climate action looks to be the biggest loser of this election.

What about my penalty rates?

The Coalition voted to cut penalty rates per recommendations from the Fair Work Commission.

Unfortunately for thousands of workers within the pharmacy, hospitality and retail industries across Australia, it's highly unlikely they'll reverse these cuts and some may even be cut further.

Will I pay more tax?

One of the more positive outcomes from the election is that low-income earners will get some more tax back each year. If you're earning more than $48,000 but less than $80,000, you'll get around $1,080 back (though, it's looking more likely for the 2019-2020 tax year). If you're earning less than that, you'll get somewhere between $255 and $855 back.

There are definitely more things changing for young people in Australia so it's important to read up on issues you care about and how they could change. It only takes a few quick Google searches and 10 minutes of your day but it could mean the difference between being informed and getting a nasty shock.

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