Background

The Youth Roundtable was created by the Coalition following intense criticism from labor and young people and their advocates around Australia when AYPAC  funding was reduced.

At the time the Coalition Government was silencing many critics of their policies by de-funding the advocacy groups that for many years Labor had funded through a range of grants.

Labor's view is that democracy is about providing the means for citizens to express their views, even if those views are not shared by the Government. 

Last year, AYPAC, the peak representative body for youth in Australia lost its funding completely.

The Coalition claim that the Youth Roundtable is their replacement for silencing youth advocates.  However the structure of the Youth Roundtable is not of a representative peak body, rather that of a focus group from which Minister seek views, opinion and ideas.