Both the Australian Young Labor and Young Liberal movements accept membership fees from 16-year-olds and engage them in policy development and campaigns, so it begs the question, why can’t they vote?
A non-partisan, youth-led campaign, ‘Make it 16’, is taking place around the country on Tuesday 13 June to call on the Australian parliament to lower the voting age to 16. And what better way to kick it off than a “not-so-democracy” sausage sizzle at Parliament House.
Fifteen-going-on-sixteen, Amelia Condon-Cernovs says she and her classmates at Melba Copland Secondary School have strong, well-educated opinions on issues such as the Voice to Parliament and climate change.
“There are so many legal things that 16-year-olds can do such as get married, pay tax, work full-time and serve in the military,” says Amelia, who is currently learning to drive. “One really important factor is we can join political [youth] parties, so we’re already getting involved with political parties.”
According to the Make it 16 website, countries such as Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Scotland and Wales have already lowered the voting age to 16, and New Zealand, Canada and Germany are following their lead.
“I work for School Strike for Climate and I’m involved with a bunch of school students who are all incredibly politically engaged,” Amelia says. “Yet politicians don’t take us seriously because we can’t vote.”
If given the right to cast her vote at the ballot box, Amelia says she would vote on “more policy-based issues and less party-based”.
“We know that one of the main arguments against lowering the voting age is that it’s just a Greens grab to get more voters when actually there’s no real evidence to support that claim,” she says.
“The people that I’m surrounded by look at which party has less policies on Medicare, which party has best policies on education. Young people are just looking for policies that will brighten their future.”
The not-so-democracy sausage sizzle is being held on the lawns of Parliament House on Tuesday 13 June 4-6pm.
To sign a petition, visit www.makeit16.au
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