Australia, along with many other nations worldwide, has a voting age of 18. This is in line with most other age restrictions such as those on smoking and alcohol consumption. However, some believe that this does not give adequate voice to younger people, who by 16 are already becoming more active members of society. With the age of consent and the driving age at 16, some believe that they are adequately mature to have a political voice. On the other hand, many believe that 16 year olds generally do not have an interest in politics, nor do policies directly affect them, as most are still reliant on parents. They are much easier people to convince, and populist/idealist parties, often shunned for not pandering to a wider group of society, look to younger voters for support.
It is proposed that 16 should be the new voting age in Australia.