Weeks ago, the NDP held its convention in Calgary and one of the items voted on motions was to explore lowering the voting age in Alberta to 16..I have an issue with that, and you should too. The voting age should be 21 in our province — and in Canada..Love it or hate it, the Alberta NDP’s policies are guided by the national party. As we’ve seen, the latter sacrificed the standards which former leader Jack Layton upheld until his unfortunate passing in 2011. I’ve never voted for the NDP and never will because my political beliefs are more right-of-center. However, I had some admiration for Layton. He wasn’t trying to buy votes with big promises; he was trying to earn them..In its current incarnation, the NDP have shown they are power-hungry and prepared to sacrifice their morals to obtain power..This is especially so in Alberta. Is there any other reason to explore lowering the voting age to 16 other than to impress kids of that age with benefits they’ve never had before? It doesn't say much for their policies, if they don’t think enough adult Albertans will vote for them..Think back to when you were 16. Which political party where you really interested in voting for? Did you understand how their policies would or could affect your families' livelihood? What social impact would that have on you? You didn’t know, and you didn’t care. At 16 obtaining your driver's license was a priority, along with making it through a six-hour day of school or having a part-time job so you had spending money on the weekend. At that age, no one cared that Ralph Klein once angrily threw money at homeless people, telling them to "Get a job!”.I’ve been given the argument if they’re old enough to serve in the army then they should be allowed to vote. Many of the youth joining the forces often are making a career choice to be trained and serve. Some don’t have the financial means for post-secondary education and joining the military can open up that opportunity. Others may not have the same benefits as their peers whose parents were able to save for an RESP. For me, this is about the only sensible reason I can accept for leaving the voting age at 18..I’ve also been told “Kids are better educated and more aware now than when people my age were 16.”.Forgive me if I chuckle at that statement! As I mentioned, we had our driver’s license at 16, while now, kids may or may not get one. Some 16-year-olds are busy throwing soup at timeless works of art and gluing their hands to the wall as a form of activism against oil and gas; all the while wearing clothing and using mobile phones produced from those materials. A 16-year-old scared this same generation into hysterics believing the world is coming to an end. Meanwhile, legitimate and educated climate scientists' expertise on the subject is ignored. Eating Tide pods became a thing as a challenge on social media, cooking chicken in Nyquil, dancing outside their vehicle while in slow idle, or ‘trolling’ people for fun, being “Instafamous’ and deciding on pronouns. So, convince me they are ready to give up their youth and to take politics serious enough to cast a thoughtful vote. Again, I chuckle!.So, here’s my counter to those who want the voting age to be lowered to 16..Let's drop the age of independence to 16 as well. I’m sure mom and dad could ‘save a bundle’ if there was one less mouth to feed at home. How about changing the Young Offenders Act to reflect 16-year-olds are criminally responsible for their actions and their records can’t be sealed until they’re 18? We could also drop the legal age of drinking to 16. It would save teens having to pay for a fake ID or pay someone to ‘bootleg’ at the liquor store. Let's start charging them (more) taxes on their meagre income when they start working at 16, so they can enjoy the same tax contributions as full-time working adults. .Earlier this year, the federal NDP Party presented a private member's bill for lowering the voting age to 16. The vote wasn’t even close. It was defeated 77 in favour to 245 against. So, like a lot of people, I’m perplexed as to why the Alberta NDP is so intent on re-opening this discussion again..The age of 16 is far too young to vote based on some examples I mentioned. And, to be honest, even 18 is still a confusing time in life. You have just graduated, and I would suggest most have no idea what their next steps in life will really be. By 21, one is better able to understand who you are as a person, what convictions you have, and you likely have at very least a part time job. With that comes views on the economy, and, which career direction you will finally take. At that point, they have some acknowledged ‘skin in the game of life’..Twenty-one to vote..No sooner.
