Labour leader Bill Shorten said the country’s voting age should be lowered to 16 as he thinks that when teens could drive, work, pay taxes, join the military and make their own choices about medical treatment, they should also be given the right to vote.

According to ABC, he also felt that the views of the young Australian are not adequately represented in the parliament as they are not allowed to vote before 18. Shorten cited the research done by the Whitlam Institute, where it is found that young Australians want themselves to be involved in decision making process and for which they should be given opportunities to act.

If this is implemented, then it would be the first reduction in the qualifying age since 1973 when it went from 21 years to 18 years, reported news.au.com. His party is of the opinion that young people have the capacity to make an impact on issues such as climate change and education funding.

Shorten believes that the policies that are formulated shape the lives of these youngsters. As a result, they are equally deserving to know and put forward their views to shape up the laws that guide their lives.

"There is a democracy deficit between young people who are disengaged in the decisions of the Liberal government, and a sense that nothing can change," Shorten was quoted by ABC as saying. He further stated that the alarming increase of cynicism amongst young people toward nation’s politics was a matter of concern and in an attempt to tackle it they should all the more given the right to vote.

"My message to the Liberal party is let's trust our young people because they're the people who are going to have to deal with the decisions that we're making right now," he added. “More speeches from politicians won’t change it. Only you can change that,” shorten said, according to news.com.au.

Countries such as Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Indonesia have already lowered their voting ages below 18 years in local and national elections.

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