Excellent.

As the author stated, "...young adults over 16 years increasingly have work experience, get taxed, have sex, write and share more ideas, are better informed and are more savvy with technology than any previous generation. Wiltshire can bemoan our “throwing of young people in the deep end” all he likes but the days of shielding young teenagers from “adult realities” are over, I’m afraid the internet and television inevitably won that bout.

But the best reason for lowering the age barrier is that the senior years of high school are the best, and possibly the last, opportunity we have to sit future generations down, promote collaborative discussion on issues they feel are important; explain why every vote matters; why it’s worth filling out an enrolment form; and above all, and if they choose to do so, the value of walking down to the ballot box that weekend with their peers and participating in Australia's democracy..."

And 16 year olds are permitted (in most states) to drive. If they are old enough to drive, then they are old enough to vote. Admittedly there are adults who never achieve sufficient maturity to perform any of the above, fortunately they are in they minority. Treating teens as children will only result in them behaving as such.

When youngsters err, we are now told that the human brain is not fully developed until the again of 25; drink and drugs is bad for the ‘developing brain’.

If the brain has not fully developed prior to age 25 it is, of course, totally and dangerously wrong to suggest that 16 year olds be given the right to vote.

Knowing more about technology than their elders, driving cars and having sex, are not good reasons for having the vote. In fact, rather than thinking about the possibility of giving kids the vote at 16, we should give consideration to lifting the driving age to 18. The statistics for under 25 death and maiming on the roads are horrendous, as are the observations made daily of P-platers performing stunts in cars

This suject really is one that should be dismissed as not worth discussion.

Of course 16 year olds do NOT have the maturity to make a rational vote, in fact the voting age should be raised to 21, at least. their decissions are purely on sex hormones and their interest is only on their appearance and the other gender. One only has to take a stroll around a shopping centre to see this. Or see the action in the CBD on Saturday night to see how mature the young really are. Or how about the young uni students demostrating at a financial conference. Or the silly antics of the PETA organization.

In view of the road death toll of young drivers, the age to get a car licence should also go up. Further demostration of the immaturity of the young. what a stupid idea.

The maturity to vote has not a lot to do with age.
We need to establish a criteria other than age ; perhaps an enrolment questionnaire could be devised where a potential voter would need to answer some fundamental questions such as:

What is a Municipal Council and what are it's functions.?
What is a State Government and what are it's responsibilities ?
What is a Portfolio?
What are the functions of the House of Representatives ?
What is a Select Committee ?
What is the purpose of the Senate ?
Name 6 Political Parties in Australia
What is a coalition.?
What is a Trade Union ?
Why do we need Trade Unions?
What is a Parliamentary Democracy ?

If the applicant cannot answer the questions, they learn the answers and try again

Oh no, it's bad enough having the 'sex talk,' I can only imagine that we would now have to go through the 'voting talk'.

Mum: Now young lady, please sit down, there's an election coming up and we need to talk.

Daughter(looking embarrassed): Oh mum, the teachers at school taught us all about voting..

Mum: You listen here, there's things that your teachers won't teach you, like how it's about values and commitment. Before you vote you need to have a very careful think about who you vote for and make a commitment to them, you don't want to be known as a political swinger, or else anyone with a fly-by-night tax reform scheme will try and take advantage of you.

Daughter: Mum, I've got something to tell you...I've already voted.

Mum: WHAT?

Daughter: I already registered and sent in my vote by absentee ballot because the election coincides with schoolies.

MUM: OH MY GOD, who was it? Who did you vote for? It wasn't that Rudd was it? I know he looks all calm and collected but he's got a foul mouth, a bad temper and an even worse ETS. He's trouble in my opinion.
Daughter: Mum! I'll vote who I want to vote for!

Mum: That's what your father said right before the 1996 election, and look what we got, a bloody GST. Don't trust those politicians, they'll make all the promises in the world just to get into your ballot box and then screw you against the wall. I only say this because I love you.

Daughter: Ok mum, I'll try and be careful, ok? (hugs)

Yep, a lower voting age would be even more trouble and heartache for parents I can see it.