The Australian Democrats will this week begin contacting as many 15-20 year olds as they can throughout Australia to poll them on their attitudes to issues of importance to them including drugs, marriage equality and suicide.

Party spokesman on youth issues, Tim Neal, (who him-self is only 23 years old) says that the party is delighted to be reviving a tradition begun by former Democrats Senator, Natasha Stott Despoja.

“Included for the first time is a question to judge support amongst students for the school chaplaincy program.

“There are other questions which the Democrats have been tracking via Youth Poll over a number of years such as the use of licit (alcohol and tobacco) and illicit drugs and support for a republic and a carbon tax.

“Political parties need to keep themselves informed about the electorate, including those who are not yet old enough to vote, because they have opinions and are impacted by the decisions made in our parliaments.

“There will be the added incentive of an iPod Touch to be won by one lucky participant in this year’s Youth Poll.

“We will be distributing information about and links to the poll through schools, TAFES, universities, and church, youth welfare and community groups in every state and territory to get as wide a cross-section of young people as possible.

“Too often young people are stereotyped and we always found with the results of Youth Poll that, just as with any other age group, opinions vary.

“I myself remember completing Youth Poll when I was 15, it was an amazing experience to feel as though my opinion was being heard.

The poll can be found at www.youthpoll.org.au and will close on January 31stwith the results to be publicly released on February 15th