Congratulations rangatahi for fighting and winning to lower voting age to 16

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
97
1393

A huge standing ovation to the amazing rangatahi for fighting and winning to lower voting age to 16…

Supreme Court rules in favour of lowering voting age to 16 in case by ‘Make it 16′ group

 

An appeal to lower the voting age to 16 has been accepted by New Zealand’s highest court – but only Parliament can decide if the law will change.

In the Supreme Court today, Justice Ellen France and Justice O’Regan ruled that an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal to decline the case of the Make it 16 group should be set aside.

Justice France told the court it was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights to not allow 16-year-olds to vote, and the decision of the Court of Appeal was overturned.

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There were tears from members of the Make it 16 group in court, who have been campaigning for years to have the age lowered.

…congratulations to their tenacity and refusal to back down!

These young people have done NZ a huge service in expanding the universal franchise of democracy.

Taxation without representation is an obscenity – most 16 year olds have part time jobs, they pay tax & they should have a say because the climate crisis impacts them most and their hopes & dreams need to be reflected in society.

Political Parties don’t give two shits about the views of young people because young people don’t vote, lowering the voting age to 16 would force those politicians to listen to those new voting voices.

This is about expanding the Universal franchise at a a time when fewer people are choosing to participate, early voting creates life long voters and believers in the democratic process.

I’m not interested in the ‘but 16yr olds are too immature to vote’ – I know plenty of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70yr olds who are too immature to vote.

Lowering the voting age to 16 should be part of the first 100 days of a new Government.

Well done rangatahi!

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97 COMMENTS

  1. Well done to the kids for doing this, good to see them standing up.

    I dont think you will have to worry too much about this being in their first 100 days. I suspect they will try and rush it through in this term’s agenda so they can rake in more potential voters.

    We all know it will mean more votes for Labour, the schools are indoctrinating kids and they all believe Jacinda is a saint, white people can never experience racism yadda yadda yadda.

    And just in case, there was any doubt about what will motivate them to vote Labour if their principles dont do it, the ‘First Year Free’ will do so. At 16, many are planning what they will be doing for study at 18. A vote for National means $8K in first year fees while a vote for Labour means $0. If I was cynical, I might even imagine the ‘Make it 16’ crew had exactly this in mind when they went to bat.

    And though I agree if they pay tax, they should get a vote. I would mention back in the 70’s when most people left school at 15 or 16 and went straight into work or subsidised training mixed with employment, they didnt get the vote either and the numbers in employment were far greater than now, in those days less than 30% went to Uni.

    • What a knob. Don’t Nats and Act have young people in their fold. If they don’t it tells a story doesn’t it

    • So National pick up the over 60s vote yet there isn’t a generational problem with that. And yes you are obviously being cynical and you know it but let’s be very clear, when voting, one votes on what best benefits them individually( if you are right leaning). Those on the left vote for inclusion. Even the Make it 16 advocate said it was about their generation wanting to live in a sustainable climate and action is needed. In other words they want a world that benefits everyone, not just the Tuis of this world.

      • I hope those angels that vote left are not disappointed with this Labour government as they support the wealthy parents (those earning up to $108000 )with money to help child care while crying poverty in so many other areas that would help the real poor .

  2. Only the Greens are in favour of the proposed change as they think most of the young are more likely to vote for them than the other 4 main stream parties. If they are still at school how can they evaluate life outside of that domain. What is the rush to be worse about voting they have a whole life ahead of them.

    • The rush is to show the dirty Natzos the door before they get another chance to negatively affect said 16-18 year old’s lives!

      Due to internet coverage kids, pre teens, and teens have access to an incredible amount of information and culture.

      There was a time when a whole gender was excluded from voting whatever their age on similar grounds of competency. It is the 21st century, and we need to move promptly to encourage a lot more people to engage in political participation.

      • “an incredible amount of information and culture.”
        Do you mean an incredible amount of mis and dis information through unregulated social media?
        No thanks.

        • Well RosieLee being misinformed is not the exclusive domain of the young by any stretch. As the postmortem of the recent US elections is proving. The covid death rate of Republicans over 65 was double that of the democrats overall and that along with the youth and the female vote is what made it so close.

          Look at all our fruit cakes like that former TV presenter, and that evil b*tch lawyer. They are not young by any stretch

      • I do not think It will not pass in parliment but if it did it would not be in time for the next election and that is the one National will win.

    • I’m 67 & have noticed that many nominal adults brains never fully develop…often reverting backwards again in their dotage

      • Most senior citizens have earned the right to vote, whether by paying taxes for 40+ years, or providing goods and services to enrich this country. Who are we to decide at what age voting rights are retracted.

        My message to 16 year olds, just focus on achieving 100% attendance at school, focus on achieving high grades, plan & focus on your own future career, and stay away from trouble I.e drugs, ram raids and unprotected sex.

        Focus on what you want to be when you grow up. This country will be most thankful if you just do that.

        There is only a 2 year wait before you will be eligible to vote for rest of your life.

        • Actually that is incorrect. My son was 17 last election and will be 23 next election, the first time he will be eligible to vote. He has worked and paid taxes since he was 15, but under current legislation, was not considered old enough to vote. Old enough to pay taxes but not old enough to participate in the democratic process of how his tax paid is spent. He’s not a slave and his situation is not unique.

          • Sinic, When the elections happen every 3 years, how can your son be 17 at last election in 2020, and 23 at the next one.

            Secondly, your son paying tax at age 15 is not unique as you said. There are children at age 14 who are paying tax from their part time jobs. Why stop at 14, if parents have opened bank accounts for their babies, they are also paying tax on interest earned.

            Hence based on the tax argument one could argue that there should be no minimum age for voting. After all if you paid tax, and didn’t get chance to vote, you are a slave.

          • Fair enough Benny, I got my numbers wrong and son did vote last election, I had forgotten. The point was however that many young people in the 16-17 age range are living adult lives and contributing to society so they should be entitled to vote if they want too. Their generation is unique and their perspective is interesting. Earning interest on a bank account is a passive “activity” BTW – any moron can achieve that – working / labouring and paying EMP taxes etc should entitle one to vote, IMO

  3. A Pyrrhic victory for the Green infused, impressionable, starry eyed youngsters.
    A better proposition is to mandate voters to having an IQ above room temperature before being allowed within a mile of a voting paper.

      • Pensioners have worked and paid taxes and contributed to families and society all their lives. 16 year olds haven’t.

        • No, actually many have never worked a day in their lives. Those that have, so what Rosie Lee? My generation and my kids generation now pay their pension. My kids generation deserve to vote on that.

  9. Well if Coward Kraut and Bob the last can vote, given their immaturity, I’d advocate for even 12 year olds to vote.

  10. Even the dear old DomPost are waking up to inevitable change for the good…
    Front page story: ‘Their cause for celebration’ and a photo of five young women who lobbied to lower the voting age to 16;
    Back page headline: ‘Kiwi women rule the world’
    King Canute couldn’t do it nor can the male, pale, and stale neo-lib stumbling, bumbling NatActs.
    Get with it guys. Face reality and welcome change. M,P & S have ruled us for far too long.
    Time to move over and move on before it’s too late, all you Canutes out there!

  11. Even the dear old DomPost are waking up to inevitable change for the good…
    Front page story: ‘Their cause for celebration’ and a photo of five young women who lobbied to lower the voting age to 16;
    Back page headline: ‘Kiwi women rule the world’
    King Canute couldn’t do it nor can the male, pale, and stale neo-lib stumbling, bumbling NatActs.
    Get with it guys. Face reality and welcome change. M,P & S have ruled us for far too long.
    Time to move over and move on before it’s too late, all you Canutes out there!

  12. Nah. This is no good. As a lawyer this is the kind of judgement whose reasoning is not 100% solid, and that will – not could – undermine the credibility of the Courts in the eyes of very many. It could even set off an explicit politicisation of the Courts, which would be a disaster.

    And that’s even before the substance of the issue.

  13. I’m a little sceptical about a 16 year old being fully equipped in a psychological sense to vote. In my opinion very few of that age whom I know are sufficiently mature enough to be considered adult. I dont give a rats about the politics here, its an area where I’d defer to psychologist who study developmental stages. Where’s Piaget when you need him?

  14. Voting at 16 does this extend to the state considering 16 year olds to be adults and not minors in all areas of life? 16 year olds signing commercial contracts. 16 year olds in pubs. 16 year olds consenting to gender reassignment sugery. 16 year olds working in massage parlours. 16 year olds being sent to war. 16 year olds tried and sentenced as adults and sent to adult prisons. Are 16 year olds ready for some unintended consequences.

  15. I’m going to vote Labour for the first time in a long time just to watch people lose their minds at a third term – lol

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