PRESSURE ON PARLIAMENT TO PROVIDE VOTING OPTION TO YOUTH

UK Commons Supported Move 119 vs 46

The Tasmanian Greens today highlighted recent votes in the UK House of Commons providing overwhelming support for the lowering of the voting age to 16 and 17, as they formally tabled a motion to introduce the same option here.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said National Youth week was an appropriate time for the State parliament to consider amending the Tasmanian Electoral Act 2004, in order to foster greater youth empowerment and engagement with our democratic institutions.

“The Greens are proposing that we provide our motivated and engaged 16 and 17 year olds the option to voluntary register to enrol and vote,” Mr McKim said.

“Already there are a number of countries which have lowered their voting age to 16 and 17, and other jurisdictions, such as the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly have passed motions endorsing the lower voting age.”

“In January this year the UK House of Commons supported a motion to lower the voting age which passed with 119 votes in support, to 46 against. The UK Labour Party described the move, “as an idea whose time has come.”

“The Tasmanian Greens agree that it is timely to have that debate here and now. Many people do not realise that currently 16 and 17 year olds can already enrol on the electoral rolls, but they are prevented from voting until they are 18 years old. This is a bizarre halfway house keeping them in limbo.”

“If they are sufficiently motivated and engaged to put themselves on the electoral roll, then surely it is logical to exercise the responsibility of being on the roll by voting,” Mr McKim said.

Text of Motion tabled by Greens Leader Nick McKim MP today:

That this House:

1. Recognises that 16 and 17 year olds can currently work, pay taxes, use a firearm, join the defense forces, have children, get behind the wheel of a car, and leave home to live on their own;

2. Acknowledges that currently 16 and 17 year olds can enrol to vote but cannot actually vote;

3. Notes that a number of countries have already formally introduced a minimum voting age of 16 and 17;

4. Notes that other jurisdictions including the Isle of Man, Jersey, the Northern Ireland Assembly; and the Welsh Assembly have all passed moves to lower the voting age to 16, with the Scottish Parliament currently having legislation before it to allow 16 and 17 years olds vote on the independence referendum;

5. Notes that in January this year, the UK House of Commons passed a motion calling for the voting age to be lowered 119 votes to 46, which was backed by the UK Labour Party as “an idea whose time has come”;

6. Notes the finding of a 2004 discussion paper by the Victorian Electoral Commission which found, “in sum, the granting of voting rights to 16/17 year olds is likely to give younger people a feeling of greater empowerment and inclusion and has the potential to reduce apathy towards politics…”;

7. Recognises the Greens’ position that the voting age should be lowered to provide our 16 and 17 years olds the voluntary option of enrolling to vote, and once that option has been chosen the current compulsory requirements would apply; and further

8. This House:

a) endorses enfranchising our 16 and 17 year olds by amending the Tasmanian Electoral Act 2004 to provide for their voluntary opt-in to register and vote; and

b) calls for the responsible Minister to have introduced the necessary legislation to have this measure in place this year.
Nick McKim MP Greens Leader MR