The ACT has been self-governed for a decade longer than Wales. But Wales is a decade ahead of the ACT in introducing legislation to safeguard the wellbeing of future generations.
This week, candidates running under the Independents for Canberra banner are announcing our shared commitment to introducing a Future Generations Act modelled on the Welsh Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015.
This legislation will require the development of a community-led vision for the Canberra we want for generations to come, as well as establishing an independent Future Generations Commissioner tasked with ensuring government decisions align with that vision.
With the UN Summit of the Future taking place on September 22-23, at which a Declaration on Future Generations is set to be adopted, we have an opportunity to be among the world’s first movers in this space.
As it stands, young people have little confidence that political leaders are making decisions in their long-term interests. The climate, housing and cost-of-living crises are combining to present the next generation with a future coloured by hopelessness.
Young people fear our changing climate. They despair at runaway habitat clearing and species extinction. They are trapped by new technologies that are causing harm, rather than being harnessed for good. They feel they cannot afford their own future.
We have a moral obligation to face these crises head-on. I have a young child and another on the way. I want my children, and their children, to feel they have come into a world that supports their aspirations.
We need to offer young people a future they can be excited about.
38 per cent of Australians aged 16–24 have a mental health disorder. 40 per cent of Canberrans report experiencing loneliness. People aged 18–24 are the loneliest.
What are we doing to address these deep-seated problems?
I am not seeing much courageous leadership, urgent action or long-term vision from our politicians. But, in a post-pandemic world, that is exactly what young people are crying out for. And it is what the next generation of Canberrans deserves.
Recent research by the Australian National University showed that many politically engaged young Australians feel disillusioned by politics and lack confidence in politicians’ ability to create meaningful change.
EveryGen’s Intergenerational Justice Policy Survey, released in May 2024, found that 81 per cent of young people believe Australian politicians think too short-term. 97 per cent believe policies today should take into account the interests of future generations, and 78 per cent indicated support for establishing a Commissioner for Future Generations.
Independents for Canberra’s Future Generations Act would require all public institutions to ensure current needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The Act would give teeth to the ACT Wellbeing Framework, empowering the Commissioner to interrogate decision-makers and push for greater action from the government in the interests of the wellbeing of current andfuture generations.
What would an ACT Future Generations Commissioner have to say about clearing native vegetation to continue the urban sprawl of our national capital? What about social housing investment, the more than 65 local species facing extinction, public and active transport infrastructure, our education system, youth mental health support, the provision of shared community spaces or the quality of our built environment?
With increasing numbers of young Canberrans finding themselves trapped in cycles of despair, the time has come for an ambitious policy shift that lifts the gaze of local political leaders and reminds them that their role is to leave this place in a better state than they found it.
Thomas Emerson is the leader of Independents for Canberra, an independent candidate for Kurrajong contesting the 2024 ACT Election, a former adviser to Senator David Pocock, and the founder of Praksis Movement Studio.
