Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Australia led the world in letting women vote, and now our country should lead the world in letting young people aged 16 and 17 vote.

Last week the New Zealand Supreme Court found that it was discriminatory and a breach of human rights to deny 16- and 17-year-olds the right and the opportunity to vote. Now, Australia doesn't have a national bill of rights, something that the Greens would like us to have, but the argument is the same: people should have a say in decisions that affect them.

Young people are more politically aware than ever before, and they will be directly disadvantaged by—amongst other things—climate change, cost-of-living pressures, the cost of getting an education, responses to sexual assault, gender inequality and growing housing unaffordability. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds make a significant contribution to Australian society. They can work. They can drive. They can pay taxes. They are carers. They are students. They are renters. At 17 they can fight in wars. Yet currently they are denied a say in who represents them and how their tax dollars are spent. Young people inherit a planet and an economy impacted by decisions that they have no say in.

Detractors often say, 'Kids don't even understand politics.' But young people have found ways to work outside the electoral system to call for the changes needed to protect their futures: from the schools' strikes for climate; legal action on whether the environment minister owes kids a duty of care; young women signing petitions and meeting with politicians, crying out for decent consent education to drive down the rates of sexual assault amongst their peers; to the young man I met last weekend, Ned Heaton, who at age 11 started a campaign to end plastic toothbrushes and replace them with bamboo toothbrushes—he's now 15 and has written a book, a great Christmas gift for kids who love oceans and nature—and, globally, young women of colour leading the debate about climate action. Young people are already shaping the future in so many ways, and they deserve the right to vote from age 16.

Young people deserve more of a say in politics. It's going to take more than just lowering the voting age. We need more young people elected to parliament to directly represent their interests and concerns. Until that happens, we here have a lot of work to do to meaningfully listen to and represent the voices of young people. We need to ensure that there's meaningful consultation with young people—and we welcome future contributions from the new Youth Steering Committee. We need to make parliament a safe and respectful place in which young people actually aspire to work. Earlier this year, Plan International Australia found that 72 per cent of young women do not feel that politics is an equal or inclusive space for them.

We know from experiences in other countries that lowering the voting age increases political engagement amongst young people, and that increased commitment stays with them throughout their life. It is good for democracy. Other countries allow people under the age of 18 to vote—Brazil, Cuba, Austria, Malta and Scotland. And, in the wake of last week's court decision, New Zealand will introduce laws to lower the voting age. Australia should follow their lead. Young people get it. They just don't get a say. Let's change that.