16-year-olds are “on the fence” about if they should be voting
Students say young people are the future and should get a chance to make change. Photo / Michael Park School
High school students can’t agree over if they should be voting, with some saying they are too immature and others saying they deserve a voice.
In March, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins delayed a bill to lower the voting age as he believed it would be “doomed to fail”.
He said passing the bill was “an expensive exercise to simply make a political statement and I'm not willing to do that”.
Year 12 students had mixed emotions about future legislation to lower the voting age.
In New Zealand, 16-year-olds are allowed to have sex, drop out of school, leave home, and be paid minimum wage. 16-year-old Lily said, “I don't see why we shouldn't be allowed to vote as well.”
The NZ Supreme Court ruled last year that excluding 16 and 17 year-olds from voting was unjustified age discrimination and inconsistent with the Bill of Rights.
16-year-old Nathan said, “A lot of young people are educated these days on the political world and how it can improve our country as a society.”
Whether 16 and 17-year-olds will vote in local body elections is yet to be decided, with councillors debating all over the country.
High school student Amanda said, “Young people are the future, so we may as well decide what changes need to be made.”
Of course, not everybody thought 16-year-olds, at such a young age, should be voting.
17-year-old Piper said, “I disagree with it because 16-year-olds are too easily influenced by their peers and their parents.”
There were also those who weren’t quite sure where they stood.
Student Scott said, “I’m on the fence about the topic as people around my age don’t have the same maturity levels and reach that point at different stages.”
However, he said, “I also believe that young people should have a voice as it is their future”.
With this year's election coming up in October, teenagers will have to keep fighting for their voice in government.