Two federal politicians from opposing camps reached across the aisle this week to promote a valuable cause - the wellbeing of future Australian generations.
Authors
- Susan Harris Rimmer
Professor, Griffith Law School, Griffith University
- Elise Stephenson
Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Australian National University
Independent MP Sophie Scamps tabled the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill 2025 , which was seconded by Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer.
In an election year no less, this was a highly unusual moment of bipartisan collaboration.
It is extremely rare for private members bills to be passed into law. But the ideas in the Scamps bill have merit - especially its central recommendation that all decision makers properly consider the needs of young people when drafting government policy.
The bill was a direct response to a diverse civil society campaign in Australia and overseas to prioritise long term solutions to deliver a fairer, more sustainable future.
We support those efforts through our involvement in the youth-driven non-profit Foundations for Tomorrow , which worked closely with Scamps on her bill.
What is in the bill?
The bill would introduce a range of measures to try and apply a future focus to decision making across the policy spectrum. This includes housing, environment, climate change, mental health and job security, all of which are pressing issues for young people.
An independent Commissioner for Future Generations would be appointed to advocate for better policies and sustainable practices, while the government would have a public duty to always consider the best interests of future generations.
Importantly, a national conversation would be launched to engage Australians in a public consultation to help shape the nation's vision for the future.
What is future governance?
Globally, we are in a state of polycrisis.
We are confronting cascading climate disasters, intense regional conflicts and geo-strategic competition. In response to this, a growing international movement representing the interests of future generations has emerged.
The concept incorporates an approach to decision making that overcomes the trappings of short-term, inadequate solutions. Instead, the emphasis is on planning for the future, not just the here and now.
Here in Australia, it aspires to future-proof the country by managing extreme, long-term risks that are damaging current and future prosperity.
Growing inequality is showing up in many policy areas, none more so than in the housing wealth gap between people in their 30s and 50s, which has widened to an extraordinary 234%.
By improving governance, it is hoped that intergenerational justice will be achieved. This ethical lens is compatible with the Australian Public Service value of good stewardship .
A global movement
Many countries, including Scotland , Finland , the United Arab Emirates and Singapore , are exploring ways to reorient their policy making towards a better understanding of long-term impacts of decisions taken now. It has also been taken up by the United Nations and the European Union .
The Australian bill is based on the experience in Wales , where similar legislation was introduced in 2015.
The Welsh model has delivered significant practical benefits by including community involvement in planning, and protecting essential services from election cycles. For instance, environmental protection has been given higher status in decision making about transport .
The Australian landscape
Australia has undertaken other efforts to think long term. The Intergenerational Report was launched by former treasurer Peter Costello in 2002 to build consensus around the big issues facing Australia over the next 40 years.
The most recent report , in 2023, identified five major areas needing future generations policy. These were population and ageing, technological and digital transformation, climate change and the net zero transformation, rising demand for care and support services, and geopolitical risk and fragmentation.
The ideas in the Wellbeing of Future Generations bill could help guide policy in these critical areas. It would be an improvement on our current approach of recognising issues, but constantly kicking the can down the road.
There have been other excellent future generations measures at all levels of government. One of these is the Albanese government's commitment to the Measuring What Matters framework.
And there is merit in independent Senator David Pocock's Duty of Care Bill and the establishment of the Parliamentary Group for Future Generations at the Commonwealth level.
An increasing number of leaders and policy makers are recognising the power and potential of expanding our definitions of policy success.
Young voters and the 2025 election
However, much more needs to be done to overcome intergenerational inequities. Policy-making continues to be driven by short-term political objectives, which is eroding trust and optimism in Australia's future.
In a 2021 survey for Foundations for Tomorrow, 71% of young Australians said said that they "do not feel secure". Young people are also drifting away from supporting the major parties, especially the Coalition.
Tabling her bill, Scamps correctly pointed out that today's young Australians are the first generation in modern history to be worse off than their parents.
Australians want politicians to start thinking beyond their own re-election prospects. They want long term solutions, they want vision, they want hope. We owe them that much.
A recent survey by EveryGen (a network convened by Griffith University's Policy Innovation Hub) found that 81% of Australians feel that politicians focus too much on short-term priorities. An overwhelming 97% of people believe that current policies must consider the interests of future generations.
Genuine futures thinking is not always easy. But it does add an important ethical dimension to decision making, that of real attention to political legacy.
Susan Harris Rimmer receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with Foundations for Tomorrow as a board member who are running the For the Future campaign, and is founder of the EveryGen network. EveryGen is a member of the Intergenerational Fairness Coalition.
Elise Stephenson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a founding member of the EveryGen network and supporter of Foundations for Tomorrow. EveryGen is a member of the Intergenerational Fairness Coalition.
