Generational ‘transfer of wealth’ prompts renewed push by teenagers, NSW Greens for voting age to be lowered to 16

Teenage advocates have reignited a push for the state’s voting age to be dropped from 18 to 16, claiming youngsters are being “ripped off” and “denied a fundamental right in our democracy”.

Teenage advocates have reignited a push for the state’s voting age to be dropped from 18 to 16, in a move they say could stop younger Aussies being “ripped off” by older generations.

Lowering the voting age to 16 could “enfranchise” a younger generation of Australians according to teen advocates and the NSW Greens, who believe 16- and 17-year-olds, passionate about issues like climate change, should have the right to vote.

The push to lower the voting age has been taken up by a multiple youth-led movements, with some arguing young people are victims of the “biggest transfer of generational wealth” in Australia’s history – a state of affairs they claim could be turned around by enabling them to vote.

Fulin Yan, from a lobby group called Make it 16, believes 16- and 17-year-olds “are psychologically mature enough to be entitled” to have a say in government decisions that affect the lives of young people..

“From mass protests and online petitions to classroom debates, many high school students are already politically active,” he said in a submission to NSW Parliament.

Groups including Make it 16 and Run For It are calling for the voting age to be lowered.

“But right now, 16- and 17-year-olds are denied a fundamental right in our democracy.”

Mr Yan said successive governments had also failed to prioritise the financial security of young people.

“We are now seeing an unprecedented transfer of wealth from young to old through our tax system. As a result, the Millennial and Gen Z generations are predicted to be first to be worse off than their parents since federation.

“Lowering the voting age will help to turn that forecast around (and) restore the balance of economic prosperity across generations.”

The NSW Greens, in a submission to a state parliamentary inquiry into voter engagement, participation and confidence, have also called for optional voting rights to be introduced for 16- and 17-year-olds, arguing younger Aussies had “as much stake in the democratic process as older voters”.

“Many young people have a well-developed interest in politics and society well before the age of 18,” the NSW Greens stated.

Advocates say younger generations are passionate about government issues, as evidenced by youth-led climate change protests in Sydney last year.

“At 16 years old, a person in NSW can work full-time, pay taxes, open a bank account, learn to drive, consent to sex and medical procedures. They can even be criminally charged as an adult and go to prison, or join the armed forces. They can join a political party but cannot cast their own vote in NSW elections.”

But University of Sydney professor Anne Twomey, a leading expert in constitutional law, raised concerns about lowering the voting age, flagging issues of maturity.

In comments to a federal government inquiry into civics education in Australia, Ms Twomey said lowering the voting age could also result in schools and students becoming “more politicised”.

University of Sydney professor Anne Twomey.

A parliamentary inquiry has heard differing views on the voting age.

She said while youngsters might “genuinely believe they know everything and should have the right to vote”, older generations probably looked back at their younger selves and realised they “weren’t as sophisticated as we thought at the time”.

“The other point, of course, is that you wouldn’t really want to make voting compulsory for 16-year-olds because it would be wrong to fine people aged 16 and 17 if they weren’t going out and voting.

“The flipside of that is: if you do make it voluntary for 16- and 17-year-olds and compulsory for 18-year-olds, does that then detract from compulsory voting?”

NSW Youth Minister Rose Jackson, in a speech to parliament, shot down calls for the voting age to be lowered, saying the NSW government had “no immediate plans” to revisit current voting laws.

Despite the stance, Ms Jackson recognised young people were “very invested” in decisions governments were making.

NSW Youth Minister Rose Jackson.

“Whether they are about climate change, housing and all of the matters young people care deeply about, and a lot of them do not have a direct say in our democracy,” she said.

“We are living in pretty difficult, disrupted times, and one only need look internationally to see what happens when the foundations of strong democracies start to shake a little bit.

“Having the next generation engaged in our political processes is an important way to make sure that the strong democratic foundations that we have and are so proud of in this country are maintained.”

Greens MP Amanda Cohn raised the issue of voting age in parliament.

The right to vote from 16 currently exists in a number of other jurisdictions, including Austria, Argentina, Brazil and Malta. In North Korea, the voting age is 17.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry into voter engagement, participation and confidence last week heard there could be challenges in lowering the voting age, including engaging teenagers to turn out on polling day.

But Greens MP Amanda Cohn said a growing number of younger Australians wanted to be heard on the social, environmental and economic decisions that “affect them now and the world that they will inherit”.