Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says forcing young people to complete a period of national service would combat the 'society of entitlement' and do the country “a great deal of good”, but other Liberals have slammed the proposal.
The former Victorian premier, who was one of the 15,300 young men conscripted into the Australian Army during the Vietnam War, told Sky News Australia that introducing mandatory national or civic service would do young people and the country “a great deal of good".
The proposal has already been criticised by some sitting MPs, but Mr Kennett said re-introducing national service would provide a “unifying point” for Australians and stop young people wanting to be part of a"society of entitlement." “I think it’s a bonding sort of characteristic which will also teach them about discipline, the line of command, etc.” Mr Kennett said.
“You do it because it’s the law, you do it because it’s your country. And you learn as an individual a great deal as you’re doing the service.” “With my background at beyond blue, I look at the fact that right now… an increasing number of young people, teenagers, are finding life stressful. They’re having anxiety attacks and they are in many cases depressed," he said.
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