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Comment on Independent MP to push for lowering of Australian voting age

When I was 16 I also didn’t see much of a need for it (this topic is raised every couple of years). Even though I was much more engaged with politics than the average person at that age, at the time.

I’m not saying 16 year olds are unqualified to vote, but we gotta draw the line somewhere.

Adulthood isn’t totally arbitrary because of how we’ve structured our society (though, the age at which this is, depends on when people are leaving school/are legally defined as independent).

The reason I think this is a distraction is because this has been suggested time and time again, and it’s not likely to get off the ground and it wouldn’t make huge swings in voter numbers.

I dunno. As in my edited comment, I just think Monique Ryan is a wanker, who I happen to agree with on wanting to do something urgently about the climate.

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small44@piefed.social ⁨19⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
We can draw the line with 16 years since it's backed by science

https://www.unicef.ca/sites/default/files/2024-06/UNICEF%2520_Canada_Policy_Brief_Bill_S-201_Lowering_the_Voting_Age.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiCkN_gg8mOAxV1rYkEHdIBCTcQFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw03bDD_PZX8T-bCQ4v3zcPx

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princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
You also talked about, in that comment, the age all other things are defined as adulthood, but that’s not even clear. Contract law says 18, unless you qualify for unreasonable to live at home, where you can sign contracts at 16. The driving age is 17 in several states. Medical privacy takes effect at 15. Age of consent nationwide is 16 (as long as the other person doesn’t have a duty of care over you). So there’s already a lot of precedent for a younger age of adulthood.

When I was 16, I was politically involved and I wanted to be able to vote. You could say that anything you’re not motivated to care about is a distraction. Plenty of things are tried again in politics as the world progresses. That’s like saying we should give up on climate change.

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- MisterFrog@aussie.zone ⁨18⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  You make valid points. I do think there’s still quite a big shift in people’s lives when they turn 18 (most), or rather, when they leave secondary school.
  
  Much more so than when they turn 16.
  
  And that learning accelerates a lot in the last 2 years of school.
  
  I will say, I’m not 100% opposed.
  
  And that my previous comments about this being a distraction were not fair statements.
  
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