The Children Are Our Future

I remember back during the minority government of Stephen Harper the Liberals floated bills to lower the voting age in the house and mandatory voting in the Senate. I remember asking a member of parliament about it at the time and he said we'll probably be forcing 16 year old's to vote.

This idea reminds me of the 1960s movie Wild in the Streets.

The premise is that a rock musician manages to become POTUS and manages to get the voting age lowered to 15 because the kiddies fought for it.

The movie ends with pre-teens starting a campaign to have the voting age lowered even more so that they can participate.

I'm sure PM Pre-Teen would rather like the idea.

Bring in conscription for anyone 16 and above not in school or working and we can talk about lowering the voting age.

This all fits with my increasing suspicion that Our Dear Leader and his cabinet operate at the level of a high school student council.

It's an idea worth considering if you are a leftist pandering for votes

"...Parliament could look at lowering the voting age to 16 to boost Canadians' lifelong participation in the democratic process."

Leave it to CBC to build an entire story on a blatant Liberal lie.

To run with this ridiculous premise, if 16 years of age would be good, wouldn't 14 be just fantastic?

While I don't disagree with the comments given above, it is entirely possible that sixteen year-olds could be persuaded to vote for a totalitarian who is not necessarily left-wing.

The fundamental weakness in this pathetic campaign by Elections Canada, the CBC, and other enablers is that it ignores the principle behind the concept "age of majority". This is, admittedly, a somewhat arbitrary and subjective standard. Some people under 16 are quite mature enough to assume adult responsibilities, others never reach that state of maturity. That's irrelevant; we set an age of majority to mark a person's transition into full citizenship: the right to vote, the right to serve (or be called to serve) in the armed forces, the right to drink, and the right to be held responsible as an adult for crimes committed (including the publication of their names).

Furthermore, the right to vote implies not just the right to choose your representative from among the registered candidates, but also the right to spoil your ballot, and, yes, the right not to vote at all (one exercised by faithful members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, who seem, otherwise, like exemplary citizens).

I would argue finally that the full rights of citizenship should not require taxpayers to fund rock concerts or other "promotions" to get citizens to vote nor to support special polling stations in university dormitories to cater to physically healthy young people who can't be arsed to walk a block and a half to the polling station that the rest of us have to walk to in order to exercise our democratic franchise.

If we have a bullying problem in the schools now, just wait til they start making kids pick political sides.

Brown shirts under the direction of their social studies teacher will ensure the desired results.

Let's be real - this is simply another initiative by the Liberal's to expand their power base . In conjunction with a biased education system and media there is more than a slim chance it will work.

Enough of this nonsense. The west needs to separate now.

Let's see corresponding amendments to the Youth Criminal Justice Act before this is even considered. If the Liberals think 16 year olds are mature enough to vote, certainly they are mature enough to be tried as adults in the regular Justice System.

"Use ballot for voting; not eating. DO NOT EAT."

Awesome :)

16? But they're still under control of globalist conspirators - aka teachers. 12 years of indoctrination is still in place - no independent thought allowed to surface.

"We recognize that, in the 21st century, people are living abroad for a number of different reasons, and we see greater value in opening up democracy than we do in placing unnecessary barriers for good, honest, hardworking Canadians who want to be able to vote,"

Says the passport challenged Minister of Democratic Institutions (in the linked story).
This in a move to restore voting privileges on citizens who have lived abroad for over 5 years, CPC had placed the restriction on these absent Canadians.

But Liberal policy could simply say. why not let everyone in the world vote, no need to restrict voting to taxpaying citizens. Then a Liberal majority could be gauranteed.

Wow, you can feel the desperation from the federal Liberals. Kids voting, expats voting...manipulation guaranteed.

Isn't it funny that the Liberals, despite their election promise, couldn't replace the first past the post system but they can fundamentally alter the vote this way without any mandate? Perhaps they can add the question "should we lower the voting age to 16" to the ballot at the next election and see what adults think. Parents know how easily teenagers can be manipulated, it's why teen often make terrible decisions. They're immature.

Can you imagine the progressivs outrage if conservatives wanted to allow parents to vote on behalf their children (more kids, more votes) because the younger generation will inherit the financial liabilities of the older generations? Progressives would hate it because progressives, especially ones who take the time to vote, have fewer children (if they have any kids at all).

If progressives open the door to children voting for short-sighted political gain then they shouldn't be surprised if non-leftist political party's will also seek to alter the terms for their own benefit.

Only full Canadian citizens should have a vote. No full Canadian citizens who don't pay income tax should have a vote.

Voting should be simple; anyone with skin in the game (ie pays taxes) gets a vote. All others no vote.

Was thinking today about sidewalks and snow clearing.

• fine if you don't clear YOUR sidewalk
• you cannot stop anyone from using that sidwalk
• why did you believe them when they said it was yours?
• what exactly was your reason for agreeing that the coercive power of the state should be used to control the behavior of your neighbors?

How could this go wrong?

Perhaps a competency test is in order. If any of these sixteen year old brain-trusts identifies Laura Secord as a chocolate-maker only, they are not allowed to vote or drive cars.

Just wait until the Post Secondary Students find out the Liberals are costing them over a $1000.00 a year in taxes for the lost Tuition Education Deduction of $400.00 and Text Book Allowance of $65.00 a month. That Weed will come in handy.

Hmmm. My wife and I stopped for a quick bite at a local McDonald's on Friday evening and it was full of teenagers.

Two things immediately struck me. First the apparent inability to construct a complete sentence without inclusion of f^%k as a verb or noun. Secondly, the amazing use of push-up bras and halter tops amongst 14 - 16 yr. old girls.

I think I was born too soon.

I didn't see a one with whom I'd trust a vote.

But Andrew Weaver would have us believe the typical 16yr old is attending the high school civics club every Wednesday afternoon - his motive is that he knows any teenager voting would naturally vote Green.