By Daniel Allert

The Youth Affairs Network Queensland believes it is necessary to reframe debates about young people's services (such as education, housing, employment support etc) by asserting young people's rights, as opposed to their ‘needs’. It is important to differentiate between these two terms.  This is because of the negative impact which the current term ‘needs’ is having on young people in our society by reinforcing negative connotations. Instead, Australia must adopt a “rights culture^"1.