Taylor Bachrach champions youth as part of introduction to Right to Vote at 16 Act in Parliament

"The issues that we're grappling with as a country are issues that have a tremendous bearing on young people their present and the future that they will inherit. Issues like housing affordability and student debt, issues like the sustainability of our health care system and of course the existential issue of the global climate emergency. The impacts of which will affect today's generation of adults in far reaching and profound ways. Young adults deserve to have a hand in the decisions on these issues, and that's why I've brought forward this bill  -- Skeena Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach with one of his many reasons to lower the voting age to 16

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach opened the period for debate of his Private Members Bill on voting rights for 16 and 17 year old Canadians on Wednesday, the MP re-introducing his proposed legislation with a fourteen minute presentation on his proposal to lower the voting age in Canada.

As we outlined on Monday, the MP's push to lower the voting age to 16 began its journey in the House of Commons in the fall of 2019, the introduction of the proposed bill at the time the first step of a lengthy procedural period, with Second reading the key part of swaying potential votes from the members of the House.

Wednesday, his commentary included a number of shout outs to young British Columbians in the Northwest that he has met over the years. 

Included on his list of incredible young Canadians was a Prince Rupert resident, Andy Chugh who was noted for his COVID times Rainmakers Now initiative a  community podcast of information sharing launched in of 2020 as well as for a follow up book called Revelations.

"People like Andy from Prince Rupert, who I met during the all candidate's debate in 2019, he shortly thereafter he ran a community podcast on the COVID 19 response and started writing his first book"

Mr. Bachrach also noted how his Bill could help improve participation in the political process and increase the concerning trend of low voter participation. The MP noting of some other nation's which have lowered the voting age to develop roots for the democratic process.

The Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP also noted of some of the objections from some towards the lowering of the voting age, challenging some of the perceptions of the detractors for the initiative.

"I want to be honest, I've been a bit dismayed that many of the arguments against lowering the voting age are rooted in stereotypes of young people that are at best, innacurate and at worst discriminatory and ageist"

Mr. Bacharch also noted of an inconsistency as to how political parties allow youth members to vote on leadership races at an age as low of 14, but then deny them the opportunity to vote for representation in the House of Commons until 18.

The Skeena-Bulkley Valley also remembered some of the previous attempts through Private Members Bill to move the voting age downwards; a bit of a history review that highlights the challenge of gaining acceptance for and making those initiatives law through the House of Commons.

Towards moving his Bill forward, the MP noted of the evolution of the vote in Canada over the years.

"I sense there may be some in this place, who find this initiative trivial perhaps, or unimportant, or maybe they're worried that enfranchised young people won't vote for them. For me, though it comes down to a matter of justice. 

If there are those in our society that the evidence shows are competent, then excluding them is unjust. 

It was unjust for women, it was unjust for Indigenous people, it was unjust for Asian Canadians and it is today unjust for sixteen and seventeen year olds. 

And I can think of no more serious work, no more important work, than correcting this injustice and enfranchising young adults who have been excluded from our democratic process here in Canada for far too long"

The full presentation by Mr. Bachrach to the House of Commons can be viewed below:

Three other MP's spoke in response to the initiative as part of Wednesday's introduction of the Bill for debate, you can view those presentations through this archive page.

The MP's Bill C-210, will continue to navigate the House of Commons procedural process. you can follow along the fate of Mr. Bachrach's initiative  through this tracking page for the Bills progress. 

More notes of interest from the House of Commons can be reviewed from our archive page.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.