By Alana Riley
Young people enrol to vote in record numbers
The Australian Electoral Commission announced that this year has the highest enrolment rate of Australia’s history, with 98.6% enrolled to vote on the upcoming federal election in May
Young voters aged 18-24 will make up 10.3% of voters in 2019, setting a record for percentage of eligible under-25s enrolled.
An ‘enrol to vote campaign’ was launched on campus during week seven to engage students with the election on May 18 and get them on the electoral roll.
QUT Guild President Vinnie Batten said both the Guild and the Australian government are run with democracy at its heart and for “that reason, we think it’s of vital importance for QUT students to have their say in how the country is run.”
“We were very happy to have so many students, young and old, approach us to assist them in enrolling and ensuring their details were up to date.“
Guild to receive one million dollars with students to reap the benefits
The QUT Guild has accepted a portion of the Student Services Amenities Fee (SSAF) for the first time since it was introduced in 2011.
The SSAF is a compulsory fee for students that is put towards the funding, subsidising, or supporting non-academic services for students. A portion of this money has been set aside each year for the QUT Guild, though this is the first year the QUT Guild has asked to receive it.
After an initial offer of 3% of the SSAF, negotiations resulted in the QUT Guild receiving $1million to help towards student services on campus.
Student Rights Vice President Sarah McCutcheon said the new funding “has the potential to dramatically upgrade student services such as the food bank”.
“We’re really excited to expand our student advocacy services, our legal assistance and even tax help for students.”
