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Youth to have a voice within federal govt

Staff WritersAAP
It's important to engage young Australians to help shape policies that affect them, says Anne Aly. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
Camera IconIt's important to engage young Australians to help shape policies that affect them, says Anne Aly. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

A select group of young Australians, including a 13-year-old boy, have been appointed to a new federal government-sponsored advisory committee.

The Youth Steering Committee has been tasked with developing a new "Youth Engagement Model" that will give young people a say on government policies and programs.

"Young Australians are uniquely placed to tell us about the problems they are facing and to shape solutions that actually work for them," Youth Minister Anne Aly said on Saturday.

"Young people make up more than 15 per cent of our population, it's important we don't paint them with one brush of being young or disengaged or only caring about one issue."

There are 15 people on the committee aged between 13 and 24. The youngest is Taihan Rahman from Victoria.

They are almost equally split between those aged over 20 and those under 20 and come from every Australian state and territory.

The Albanese government is spending $10.5 million on the new Youth Engagement Model.

The funding will be used to set up an Office for Youth which will act as a conduit for policy feedback, and five Youth Advisory Groups to work directly with government agencies.

The Youth Steering Committee's first meeting will take place between November 21 to 23 in Canberra.

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