The federal election is inching closer, with more than half a million Australians eligible to vote for the first time. For those aged between 18 and 20, it will be their first chance to have their say in the electoral process on a national level.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 52,906 Gujarati speakers in Australia, per the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census data. Around 58 per cent, or more than 30,000, of Gujarati speakers, were Australian citizens and eligible to vote.
In the five years since the last census, many more Gujarati speaking Indian migrants have made Australia home. In addition, since the last federal election in 2019, many Gujarati teenagers have also become eligible to vote.
The exact number of the Gujarati population post-pandemic will be known when the new census data is released after the federal elections.
SBS Gujarati spoke to some first-time voters from Australia's Gujarati Indian community.
Twenty-year-old Anshul Trivedi is a computer science and engineering student in Sydney and has enrolled to vote in the upcoming federal election for the first time.
"Some of the policies I will be looking into in this upcoming election range from cross climate action, creating jobs in STEM, and reducing the increasing property prices in the housing market," he tells SBS Gujarati.
Anshul believes Australia has consistently performed poorly in climate action and creating policies to reduce greenhouse gases.
Source: Supplied by: Anshul Trivedi
"It is hard to ignore the changing and more drastic weather that has affected Sydney and Australia in the last few years. I think it is vital for Australia's governing body to promote sustainable practices more readily through policies that help Australia keep up with the progress of other developed nations."
Anshul says that before casting his vote, he will compare how election candidates encourage more community interaction and impact.
For example, subsidising the cost of buying electric vehicles and subsidising the actual cost of solar panels, not just providing an interest-free loan.
"In addition to climate action, and as a STEM student myself, I am interested in how the federal government aims to provide new opportunities and areas of development within Australia's STEM industry, boosting the economy through creating jobs. And investment in these sectors is essential for me to develop a career and gaining experience in Australia."
Like many first-time voters in Australia, Anshul says another primary concern for him is the continuously increasing house prices across the nation and what that means for young buyers to enter the housing market.
The 2022 Federal Election comes at a critical time for many young Australians.
The School Strike For Climate movement rose to prominence in 2019, gathering momentum after the fires and floods in Australia in recent years.
Twenty-year-old Isha Desai is a performing arts student in Perth and another first-time voter from the Gujarati community in Australia.
Source: Supplied by: Isha Desai
Two deciding factor policies for me include climate and arts policy.
"I am mainly looking for a party or candidate that commits to a hard-line climate stance with detailed plans to measure and deliver improved environmental outcomes. In particular, I will not accept the signing of non-binding agreements and vague declarations to reduce emissions as their lack of follow through puts our communities in danger. I note the parties that prioritise our planet's future over political donations from mining or fossil fuel companies," she says.
Australia's arts and entertainment sector were given a support package last year to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but many artists were concerned that it would not be enough.
Australia's arts and entertainment workers union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, had said the package was "too little and too late".
An increase in university fees in the last budget for arts courses has also seen a drop in new students signing up for those courses, putting the future of the arts in this country at risk.
As a passionate young person currently training in the performing arts, I also want to see federal support for the Australian arts and entertainment industry.
"In the last two years, COVID accelerated the consumption of arts as escapism however was simultaneously under attack through excessive budget cuts. I believe that a comprehensive arts policy leads to better social and cultural outcomes, including increased social cohesion, community empowerment and an overall improvement in well-being which are well overdue in the recovery from COVID-19," says Isha.
Nineteen-year-old Upasana Patel says climate action, education policies and taxes play on her mind when deciding her vote.
Source: Supplied by: Upasana Patel
Brisbane-based Aditi Dodia took Australian citizenship a year ago. She has enrolled to vote in this year's federal election for the first time.
A software developer by profession, Aditi is an undecided voter and is trying to study policies by various political parties before deciding her vote.
"I am concerned about inflation, and the present government says they will address it, but I don't see any results. The most important factor for me is which party or leader can improve relations between India and Australia.
Source: Supplied by: Aditi Dodia
"I think Prime Minister Scott Morrison is doing an excellent job, and I love that Prime Ministers of both countries refer to each other as friends. But I would also like to see Australia improve relations with other countries."
For now, I am excited that my vote will be counted in deciding the future of this country.
Pritesh Patel came to Australia in 2017 on a Permanent Resident visa. He, too, will be voting for the first time on 21st May 2022, after becoming an Australian citizen in February 2022.
"I like that voting is compulsory in Australia., and I believe it is better for the country. I want to focus on what is each party doing for the new migrants," he says.
Source: Supplied by: Pritesh Patel
"Job equality, homeownership for all and low taxes are three critical issues for migrants coming to Australia. I want to vote for the party that prioritises these three things."
