1.      When and why did you decide to become a politician?
My earliest political memory is of Gough Whitlam and Margaret Whitlam walking down some steps off a plane onto the tarmac. I was about 4 years old and I said to dad, "that's Gough Whitlam, isn't it Dad? He's a good man, isn't he?" I suppose you could say my fate was sealed from an early age. I never really had a plan to get elected to parliament, though. That was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

2.      What do you think are the issues that matter to young people?
I think young people are a diverse group which has any number of issues that may be of concern to them. Of course there are some issues which effect young people more than others, such as education, but generally I think young people have varied concerns just like those in other age groups. The issue most frequently raised with me by young people is climate change, but I get all sorts of questions and comments about housing affordability, the Iraq war and other foreign affairs issues, poverty in Australia and overseas, Work Choices etc.

3.      How do you plan to address these issues?
I am campaigning for the election of a Rudd Labor Government. Australians are faced with the choice between ensuring our collective future prosperity by investing in health, education, housing and infrastructure or going down a route that entrenches and worsens existing inequalities. I believe it is time for new leadership and a government that will ensure Australia’s economic prosperity is maintained at the same time as ensuring fairness in the workplace, at home and across society as a whole. Fore more details on each of the policy areas you can check the ALP website.

4.      How do you engage with young people to find out what issues matter to them?
Since I was appointed Shadow Minister for Youth I have travelled the country talking with young people and youth advocates about issues of importance to them. That process of consultation is ongoing and I am always interested to hear more, but I do feel confident that I have provided all sorts of opportunities for young people to raise issues and concerns with me directly about how a federal government could do more to help young people reach their full potential and have a stronger voice.

As a member of parliament I have all sorts of opportunities to talk to young people – school visits, street stalls and market days, campaigning at railway stations, visiting TAFE colleges and universities, visiting youth homelessness services and other support services for young people. I see a pretty broad cross section of young people in the course of a week, with a pretty diverse range of issues and views.

I also have tried to engage with people through setting up a MySpace and facebook pages. Most of the formal communications I get from young people are by email.

5.      What did you care about when you were a young voter?
I cared about a lot of issues and still do. The things that got me involved in politics in the first place were Aboriginal land rights, nuclear disarmament and feminism.

6.      What is your opinion of young people in Australia?
I think it’s dangerous to talk of "young people" as though there is one homogenous group of young people; this generation is as varied in its concerns as any other. I do think that as a generation, today's young Australians are just as interested in making the world a better place, but they are generally less into organisations and more into particular actions as a way of political activism. I meet a lot of dead-smart, committed, creative, passionate young people.

7.      How do you think our political system can better engage with younger voters?
A Rudd Labor Government would be committed to following initiatives to better engage with young people:

• Australian Youth Forum: Labor would have the Australian Youth Forum which will be a representative body comprising young people and full time youth policy specialists.
• Youth policy: A Rudd Labor Government would have a Minister for Youth and an Office for Children and Young People which would be responsible for the development of youth-specific policies and would analyse how government initiatives affect young people.
• Repeal John Howard’s unfair electoral laws which could restrict more than 400,000 mostly young people who do not enrol before an election is called or update their address, from casting a vote on election day.

8.      What are the key long-term challenges facing Australia?
In a highly competitive global economy, our future economic success as a country depends on us having the foresight to prepare for long-term challenges. Labor has highlighted five key areas we can make a real difference:

• By boosting education and skills through an Education Revolution
• By building world-class infrastructure, including a new National Broadband Network
• By encouraging the development of innovative new products and services to boost exports
• By keeping taxes as low as possible to attract investment and reward enterprise
• By avoiding dangerous climate change.

9.      If you could change one thing about Australia what would it be?
Why settle for one thing? We live in a fantastic country, but there are 100,000 homeless Australians every night, one out of every 15 kids in NSW is notified to DOCS as at risk of abuse or neglect, we refuse to sign the Kyoto protocol, some Uni degrees cost $200,000. Why settle for one thing?

10.     Describe a time when your political opinion was challenged or changed.
My political opinions are challenged every day, both by my opponents and by being open to learning new things and looking at old problems in new ways. That's a good thing.

11.     What’s your favourite thing about your electorate?
The people who live in it - I represent a very diverse community. I also love the great old terrace houses soaked in history.

12.     What do you do to relax?
Read, swim or bushwalk. Sometimes yoga.

Email: Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au