The provided text discusses the possibility of lowering the voting age in Canada to 16, drawing parallels with recent moves in the United Kingdom and historical changes in Canada’s own voting age.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
UK’s Move: The article mentions that the UK has lowered its voting age to 16 for local elections and is considering it for general elections.
Canadian Context:
Manitoba Senator Marilou McPhedran introduced a private members’ bill to lower the voting age to 16, but it was voted down.
Arguments against lowering the age in Canada included:
Existing avenues for youth political involvement.
18 being the age for other civic duties (like military service).
Concerns about parties canvassing high schools.
Skepticism about the impact on voter turnout, citing the 1972 federal election where turnout only increased by 1%.
International Precedents: Germany, Brazil, and Austria are mentioned as countries where 16-year-olds can vote federally.
Canadian Precedents:
Most federal political parties in Canada allow younger teens to vote in their leadership elections.
Some Métis nations allow 16-year-olds to vote for their representatives.
Canada’s federal voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1970, a year after the UK did the same. Provinces also lowered their voting ages to 18 over time.
Potential Influence of UK’s Change: A research fellow suggests the UK’s move could influence Canada, but the change might not be as rapid as in 1970. He believes more political party support and greater incentive from young people would be needed for such a change to occur. Ultimately, it’s a political decision requiring those in power to champion it.
