Tweet
Call to lower voting age to 16
Green Party MP Sue Bradford is drafting a bill to lower the voting age to 16.
The bill – Civics Education and Voting Age – would be ready for the next ballot of members' bills.
"The main effect of the bill would be to lower the voting age to 16 – and this change would go hand in hand with making civics education a compulsory part of the national education curriculum," Ms Bradford said.
"At 16, young people can get married, have children, and be taxed. If we are serious about trying to get young peoples' voices into the public arena and heard in places of power, they should be allowed to vote."
Ms Bradford said making civics education part of the compulsory education curriculum was a great opportunity.
"Lowering the voting age and teaching them civics can help young New Zealanders get on track to being better informed, more engaged citizens."
She said programmes like the Kids Voting scheme running in Auckland schools since 2000, and launched in Hamilton this week, were successful but should be taught in all schools.
"This is a move whose time has come. Earlier this month, Austria became the first country in Europe to lower the voting age to 16, and won wide support for the move from four out of five parliamentary parties in that country. Brazil has already made the same move," Ms Bradford said.
Ms Bradford's last bill to change the law around smacking was passed by Parliament and comes into effect this week.
"This bill is about taking young people seriously as citizens, and ensuring their voices are heard – and about us addressing from the outset the obligation that everyone has to be engaged and informed in the way that we make our political choices."
Ms Bradford said she hoped parties would support the bill.
Her announcement was timed to coincide with the annual meeting of Youth Parliament in Wellington.
- NZPA
Green Party MP Sue Bradford is drafting a bill to lower the voting age to 16.
The bill – Civics Education and Voting Age – would be ready for the next ballot of members' bills.
"The main effect of the bill would be to lower the voting age to 16 – and this change would go hand in hand with making civics education a compulsory part of the national education curriculum," Ms Bradford said.
"At 16, young people can get married, have children, and be taxed. If we are serious about trying to get young peoples' voices into the public arena and heard in places of power, they should be allowed to vote."
Ms Bradford said making civics education part of the compulsory education curriculum was a great opportunity.
"Lowering the voting age and teaching them civics can help young New Zealanders get on track to being better informed, more engaged citizens."
She said programmes like the Kids Voting scheme running in Auckland schools since 2000, and launched in Hamilton this week, were successful but should be taught in all schools.
"This is a move whose time has come. Earlier this month, Austria became the first country in Europe to lower the voting age to 16, and won wide support for the move from four out of five parliamentary parties in that country. Brazil has already made the same move," Ms Bradford said.
Ms Bradford's last bill to change the law around smacking was passed by Parliament and comes into effect this week.
"This bill is about taking young people seriously as citizens, and ensuring their voices are heard – and about us addressing from the outset the obligation that everyone has to be engaged and informed in the way that we make our political choices."
Ms Bradford said she hoped parties would support the bill.
Her announcement was timed to coincide with the annual meeting of Youth Parliament in Wellington.
- NZPA
Comment