Comments on: Kate Ellis and the youth roundtable that wasn’t

By: Sally Goldner

Sally Goldner — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:19:13 +0000

This is typical of how society treats young people…and then we wonder why young people are a tad disgruntled! Add in the combination of tabloid media and police association hysteria that generalises young people as dangerous drivers, violent and “they’re too young to know anything.” Is anyone lobbying to counter this vilification?

By: Harvey Tarvydas

Harvey Tarvydas — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:43:25 +0000

Dr Harvey M Tarvydas #3

And of course ………. the infinitely ultimately disgraceful Vietnamese war.
I haven’t marched against disgraceful wars since I was a Yoof.

By: Harvey Tarvydas

Harvey Tarvydas — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:34:06 +0000

Dr Harvey M Tarvydas #2

But I can’t help myself.
At 17 years of age I was a placard bearing one of 4 or 6 who marched down Perth’s main street against Menzies’ conscription laws and got beaten up by the 200 policemen that were in fear of their lives as they protected Perth from us kids.

By: Harvey Tarvydas

Harvey Tarvydas — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:25:18 +0000

Dr Harvey M Tarvydas

When I was a Yoof, oh no, I won’t do it here as its such a long story with so much excitement and extraordinary achievement from 14 onwards (the likes of which I have only come to truly appreciate since old and crusty became appropriate pronouns and a lifetime of comparative study) and so X-rated (looking back) that I will have to find an appropriate forum to launch my career as the exemplar

By: Lucas James

Lucas James — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:46:44 +0000

Kate Ellis, Minister for talking down to young people.

“Ms Ellis told Crikey that the PM had web-chatted live with young people yesterday as part of the National Conversation to inform the government’s youth strategy.”

Is this the same webchat that some of the “yoofs” asked the PM about the upcoming internet censorship, and were told that he wasn’t going to ignore that issue, and promptly ignored it?

By: AR

AR — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:06:46 +0000

Sorry, bit out of touch, when did a 22yr old become yoof? Arrested development and/or over developed sense of entitlement?
I agree with Jossy’s point - they should be out living and learning real life rather than seeking a sinecure to ascend the slimy pole.

By: SHEILA NEWMAN

SHEILA NEWMAN — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:42:37 +0000

“We got to the room, where we were then informed again that the Minister would not be able to attend. A KPMG consultant started talking about the report, that we didn’t have and hadn’t read, until a participant interrupted her and requested we get to the reason why we were there — the National Strategy for Young Australians.”

Ah, those ubiquitous KPMG consultants: In the Iraq war, in Timor with the ex-Premier of Victoria, Mr Bracks, as regular writers in Murdoch’s HeraldSun and on the front of the business pages in his Australian.

I often wonder if Australia isn’t just another franchise.
I don’t think youth should be exposed to them.

By: jossy

jossy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:41:45 +0000

Pretty shoddy.

Mind you I personally have never trusted the sort of youth that are interested in politics at 22 years of age (generally law and political science students that want a career in politics). The majority of Australians at that age are doing useful things with their time so these young people are hardly representative of their age cohort.

By: Keith is not my real name

Keith is not my real name — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:31:52 +0000

That’s some shoddy work by the Minister, I hope she apologises.

By: Malcolm Street

Malcolm Street — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:42:10 +0000

I think it’s the type of occurrence for which the term FUBAR is appropriate… Amazing, simply amazing

By: bakerboy

bakerboy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:40:57 +0000

The photogenic Kate Ellis, who attended unversity for 6 years and graduated in nothing. What more can you expect. Alex

By: stephen martin

stephen martin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:15:41 +0000

” the Minister told Crikey she was in Parliament and “couldn’t attend every meeting”. - Of course she couldn’t, but she could still attend meetings that had been organised by her staff; if only as a matter of courtesy. Arrogance to say the least.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:47:12 +0000

Seriously though, are we surprised? The crusties don’t care about the kids. It represents their past, not their future.
The young don’t have a lot to offer politically…According to the Pollytics blogs recently, they are all going to vote Labour or Green regardless. As long as they don’t think about joing the dark hoards of the libs, they will be ignored.

By: David FENWICKE

David FENWICKE — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:34:21 +0000

The “yoof” delagates should be grateful that they didn’t have to spend the afternoon shredding top secret documents under the watchful eye of Albo.

By: John T

John T — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:19:25 +0000

And par for the course for Kate Ellis. Is there no supervision of the performance of Kevin’s kiddie ministers?

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:08:02 +0000

It most certainly did. Hollowmen is creepily prophetic like that.

By: Melanie Bartlett

Melanie Bartlett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:41:24 +0000

didnt this happen in an episode of “hollowmen”