Practice

Source A: SBS NEWS

Australians aged 18 or over are obligated to vote in local, state and federal elections, but Greens MP Stephen Bates is pushing a bill which would lower the voting age in federal elections to 16.

While the Greens claim voting would remain compulsory for all eligible voters, the normal enforcement process would not exist for those under 18, whose fines would be waived.

Mr Bates insisted young people are being excluded from decisions, but will "face the brunt" of the climate crisis, housing affordability, and inequality.

"Voter participation in Australia continues to decline. The recent federal election, we saw the lowest level ever since compulsory voting was introduced. It's so important that we preserve our democracy, expand our
democracy and give young people a say in their future," he told reporters on Monday.

The Bill proposes to:

introduce voluntary voting for 16 and 17 year olds ; and
Research has been undertaken on the community’s attitude towards lowering the voting age to 16. However, the research that has been undertaken indicates limited community support for lowering the voting age. Professor
Ian MacAllister writes:
94 percent of the respondents in the 2010 Australian Election Study opposed any change, with 72 percent saying that the age should ‘definitely stay at 18’. Indeed, if anything, Australian public opinion is more opposed to
lowering the age than is found elsewhere. Overall, just 6 percent of the favour any change.
Sydney News

One of the first bills to be put to parliament in 2023

will be to lower the voting age to 16 in order to give
younger Australians the voice to shape their future.
Although not the first time such a bill has been put to
parliament, the renewed push by the Greens will
make it compulsory for 16 and 17-year-olds to
vote; however, those who do not vote will not be
fined.

Speaking to the media, the party’s youth spokesman

and Brisbane MP Stephen Bates said, “16 and 17-
year-olds can drive cars, work, enlist in the
Australian Defence Force, and serve their
communities, yet they have no say in the
composition of their own government.”

Aside from the obvious global issue of climate

change, surveys have shown that young Australians
are also concerned with affordable housing for those
under the age of 35 and education-related debt as
well as mental health