Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—At the request of Senator Di Natale, I move Greens amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 8222 together:

( 1) Clause 2, page 2 (at the end of the table), add:

3. Schedule 2    The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(2) Page 45 (after line 5), at the end of the Bill, add:

Schedule 2—Lowering the Voting Age

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

1 Subsection 4(3)

Omit "age 16", substitute "age 14".

2 Subsection 55(2)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

3 Subsection 90B(10) (subparagraph (g)(iii) of the definition of additional information )

Omit "18", substitute "16".

4 Paragraph 93(1)(a)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

5 Paragraph 93(3)(b)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

6 Subsection 93(4)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

7 Paragraphs 95(1)(c) and (f)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

8 Paragraphs 95(6)(a) and (b)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

9 Subsection 95(7)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

10 Paragraph 95(8)(a)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

11 Paragraph 95(13)(e)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

12 Subsection 98(1)

Omit "16", substitute "14".

13 Subsection 98(3)

Omit "16", substitute "14".

14 Section 100 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

100 Claims for age 14 enrolment

15 Paragraph 100(1)(a)

Omit "has turned 16, but is under 18, years of age", substitute "has turned 14, but is under 16, years of age".

16 Paragraph 100(1)(b)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

17 Subsection 100(2)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

18 Paragraph 108(a)

Omit "16", substitute "14".

19 Subsection 120(2) (table item 4)

Omit "16", substitute "14".

20 Paragraph 121(1)(c)

Omit "16", substitute "14".

21 Section 208(2)(b)

Omit "18", substitute "16".

22 After subsection 245(1)

Insert:

(1A) Subsection (1) does not apply to an elector who is 16 or 17 years of age on the polling day for an election.

23 At the end of subsection 245(4)(d)

Add:

; or (e) was 16 or 17 years of age on the day of the election.

24 At the end of subsection 245(15)

Add:

Note: A person who is 16 or 17 years old is exempt from committing an offence under subsection (15). See subsection (1A).

25 Section 342

Omit "16", substitute "14".

26 Section 343(1)

Omit "16", substitute "14".

Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984

27 Paragraph 22(2)(b)

Omit "18 years old", substitute "16 years old".

28 After subsection 45(1)

Insert:

(1A) Subsection (1) does not apply to an elector who is 16 or 17 years of age on the polling day of an election.

29 At the end of subsection 45(4)(d)

Add:

; or (e) was 16 or 17 years of age on the day of the election.

30 At the end of subsection 45(14)

Add:

Note: A person who is 16 and 17 years old is exempt from committing an offence under subsection (14). See subsection (1A).

The purpose of these amendments is quite straightforward, and you would hope we would all agree on it. They are amendments that lower the minimum age of a voter in an Australian federal election and referendum from 18 years to 16 years of age but keep the age of compulsory voting eligibility to standing as a federal parliamentarian at 18 years of age. That really shouldn't be something to question at this stage. Young people can work, can pay taxes, can be in the defence forces and can even get married—an issue that's well and truly in the news at the moment. They can drive a car and they can do so many things—just about everything that you can do after you're 18. So what's the problem? Surely it's time that they be given the vote. These are very straightforward amendments—ones that I'd even argue are overdue—and it's certainly changing in other countries like democracies that are collapsing, where this has been brought in. Other countries allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote and there have been good results, with youth turnout really taking off. We've seen it in Austria and Scotland, and hopefully the time will come very soon in Australia. These amendments are put forward by the Australian Greens leader, Senator Di Natale, and I highly recommend them.