The recently launched ‘Make It 16’ campaign – aimed at lowering the voting age in New Zealand to 16 – has support from Children’s Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft.
Becroft said lowering the voting age would enhance turnout, ingrain the habit of voting and uphold young people’s rights.
If this be so, why stop at 16?
Becroft says
“Children and young people have the right to have their voices heard and taken into account.”This suggests there should be no age limit.
He further says:
“We grey-haired old men and women need to know the world’s a changing place.”The same Andrew Becroft, when he was Principal Youth Court Judge, welcomed legislation mooted in 2007 to raise the minimum age from 17 to 18 for an offender to be dealt with in adult courts. He said this would fulfil international obligations and bring New Zealand into line with other developed countries.
“Young people are much more alive to the issues. They are much more schooled-up on the issues.”
In 2016 Becroft set out “six great reasons 17-year-olds should be included in the youth justice system”.
Among the reasons: It is the best way to change behaviour
“We know that the parts of the brain that control logic and judgement are still developing at 17. A young person’s ability to control impulses and rationally think through consequences is poor.”So they are too young, at age 17, to be held to account for criminal behaviour in an adult court because they can\t control their impulses or rationally think through the consequences.
But those behavioural shortcomings are not an obstacle to their deciding who should govern the country and make laws.
Go figure.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor
for the Point of Order blog HERE.
2 comments:
I voted for Kabour when I was 25, too young and too stupid.
The Children's Cmmissioner should stick to children things he is out of his reality depth'
Perhaps Becroft is part of a wider conspiracy to change the way we are governed. By allowing 16 year olds the vote and given the current turmoil and hysteria around climate change, the winners in a ballot, including those of 16 year olds, would be those whose agenda includes a major move to the left and total state control. The majority of those participating in the Extinction Rebellion protests are marginally old enough to vote as 16 year olds and more than likely have no idea about whats going on apart from being told that they should demonstrate. Unfortunately I do not have confidence that 16 year olds have developed enough to look at the issue in total rather than go with the flow as appears to be the case at present.
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