It is almost 20 years since the federal government introduced the baby bonus, a cash payment designed to encourage people to have more children.
Then-treasurer Peter Costello famously exhorted couples to have "one for your husband, one for the wife and one for your country."
Aside from the $5,000 lump sum, the policy sent a powerful social message that it was not only responsible to have another child, but that families would be doing the government a favour in the process.
The result was a mini baby boom and those babies, part of Gen Z, are now coming of age and some will be voting for the first time in this month's New South Wales election.
First-time voters and high school friends Czar Williams and Phillip Ynson are looking forward to having their say.
Mr Ynson, 18, a warehouse worker from Blacktown, has not decided who will get his vote.
"I just feel like I'll probably vote for someone that would be more environmentally aware, and like someone that wants to change for the future, as well," he said.
Racism is the biggest issue for his friend, 18-year-old law student Mr Williams.
"Especially in such a diverse country, I think we should be more conscious about any inclusivity," Mr Williams said.
Together, Gen Z (aged 10 to 24) and Millennials (aged 25 to 39) outnumber the post-war baby boomers.
The under-40s are now in the majority, making up 51 per cent of the state's population — that translates into more power at the ballot box.
Stewart Jackson, a senior lecturer in Australian politics at the University of Sydney, said politicians had been slow to pick up on this demographic shift.
"I think there's a continual lack of attention paid to the youth vote by the major parties," he said.
"In part because Labor will take it for granted that they will get more young people than the Liberal Party."
He said that together, Labor and the Greens now hold 65 to 70 per cent of the youth vote.
"It tells you that most young people are looking to progressive politics and that has been rising," Dr Jackson said.
"Conservative parties have been losing the youth vote for quite a number of years now."
First-time voter, 18-year-old nursing student Taliah Scanlan, will be voting with her future job in mind.
"I was looking at Labor and they were talking about wanting to help more of the nurses, and I think that's really important at the moment, especially because I'm wanting to get into nursing," she said.
"And they said they were wanting to help financially as well, in terms of university degrees, which I think will be good."
Dr Jackson said for a generation that has grown up with the spectre of climate change, the environment will be a key issue.
"Simply put, their future is in danger, in very real danger."
Joshua Clarke and his friend Fraser Granville both cited environmental policy as a factor that would influence how they vote.
"I feel like people are trying to be keyed into the environmental practices and working with country," Mr Clarke said.
The tattoo artist and musician from Glebe said he would be voting for the Greens.
"I'm super excited for a hung parliament," the 26-year-old said.
His friend and fellow experimental musician Fraser Granville, 24, was also concerned with Indigenous rights.
"That … and providing more jobs to people who need them as well," Mr Granville added.
Dr Jackson said the election pitch from the major parties was aimed squarely at the older generations.
"People in their 30s, 40s and 50s, particularly to those who already own homes.
"They're the ones who hold the capital in terms of houses, in terms of shares, in terms of any form of personal investment.
"They're the ones who own the lion's share of it and it's not being spread evenly across society. We're seeing increasing wealth disparity and inequality across all age groups now."
He said the cost-of-living and housing crises were high on the list of concerns for young people who had been "cut out of the housing market".
"Unless you are on the $100,000 to $200,000-a-year wage, you aren't going to be able to afford a house, certainly in the inner city," Dr Jackson said.
Ben Host, a 25-year-old tradesman from Sans Souci, said he had not decided who to vote for but felt young people had been left out of the decision-making process.
"I feel like we're kind of just ignored. Everyone's kind of worried about more older people than younger people," he said.
