PM: So Kate, we're going to launch this blog for young Australians and the reason we're doing it is we're in the process of developing a national strategy for young Australians; but i think you and I agree that that's only going to work if we actually bring young Australians with us and are fully armed with their views, their opinions, what they think we're doing right, what they think we're doing wrong.
ELLIS: Absolutely, are you ready to be inundated with the views of Australia's young people?
PM: I'm sure they're all going to be terribly respectful.
ELLIS: Always, always.
PM: My experience of young people is usually they are not and that's what's great about Australia.
ELLIS: They'll be honest.
PM: Yeah, but seriously, we're trying to deal with, obviously, things like binge drinking, but we're also trying to deal with the challenges young Australians are facing on the home front, the family front, what's going on in their communities, what's going on in terms of their schools, problems of bullying; also, the opportunities they have for the future to make a difference to get out there in the world, the skills they need to get a decent job as well as some of the the harder questions about when they run into trouble with the law enforcement authorities.
ELLIS: Well and as you know we've been doing so much work in trying to engage with young people through the Australian Youth Forum, through the website, through our 'You Think' events, but this will be a really great way that they can communicate their views directly to you and I'm really looking forward to seeing some of the great ideas that come in, but also the great insights on some of those problems as well. But the other thing that sometimes this generation of young people are accused of being apathetic and I don't know if you find the same thing, but I find that anytime you do a school visit you'll get the toughest questions you'll get anywhere and you'll find that young people are amazingly engaged and have strong opinions and have some great ideas and we we need to recognise that as well and that's why it's fantastic, as part of this process, that we'll get to see directly some of those ideas, some of those views coming through and in response to your blog.
PM: Well the good thing about blogging is that a lot of stuff may repeat things that are known to everybody, but every now and then, through these sorts of exercises and engaging the community directly, you find out stuff that's new and which really has a big impact on the way in which policy is done. So let's hop into this blog, hop into the subsequent online conversation and you can be there to rescue me in terms of my communication skills.
ELLIS: (laughter) Well, I'll do what I can, can't wait to see the responses that we get though.
PM: Thank you Kate Ellis, Minister for Youth, Minister for Sport.
ELLIS: Thank you Prime Minister.