Right now, young people can engage in politics in various ways, but voting is the most powerful tool for shaping the decisions that affect their lives. However, 16 and 17-year-olds are denied this right, leaving them without a direct say in the issues that impact them the most, for example:

 

• Youth mental health – New Zealand has one of the worst youth mental health crises in the OECD, yet young people have no say in the policies meant to support them.

 

• Education – Many students leave school feeling unprepared for their futures. A decent education system that truly equips young people for life is still a work in progress.

 

• Support for minority groups – Māori, Pacific and LGBTQ+ communities have younger populations. Young people from marginalized groups deserve representation in decisions that impact their well-being.

 

• Living costs and the economy – The decisions made today about housing, wages, employment and other economic policies will shape our future, yet we have no say in them.

 

• Government debt – The taxes young people will pay in the future will be used to cover the debts our government takes on now. Shouldn’t we have a voice in those financial decisions?

 

• Climate change – One of the biggest existential threats to our future is being decided by politicians who won’t have to live with its worst consequences.

 

Decisions that affect us, issues that determine the course of our life, are not being decided by us.

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As voices of the future, we deserve to have our say.