Federal politicians are set to vote on the outcome of a private member's bill this month that could potentially drop Canada's legal voting age to 16 years old.
And a local member of parliament claims now is the time to do so, believing today's youth will feel the impact of inflation, the rise in living expenses and more possible extreme weather events.
Bonita Zarrillo told the Tri-City News that young people need to know how they can improve their futures and knock down barriers, and it starts by allowing them to go to the polls.
"Some of them [are] still deciding what they want to do in the future, but all of them in need of housing [and] in need of transportation," the Port Moody–Coquitlam MP said at Douglas College's Coquitlam campus on Tuesday (Sept. 13).
"But many of the folks here that I'm talking to on campus, they have cousins, brothers, sisters and other family members that are still in high school. And it's very interesting....we've met some of those students that are talking about how important it is to lower the voting age."
Zarrillo was joined by fellow B.C. MP Taylor Bachrach — NDP for Skeena–Bulkley Valley — who tabled Bill C-210 in December last year.
They also spoke with students at Dr. Charles Best Secondary.
As it stands, a Canadian resident must be 18 years old to vote in a federal election.
The timing of the debate, Zarrillo believes, is perfect given the 2022 municipal election — set for Oct. 15 — is set to generate conversation among most Tri-Cities residents in the weeks ahead.
She said the current rising cost of living is likely to hit teens' wallets after they graduate high school
"We all know that issues with housings in this province, and even within this community, this is absolutely the right time," Zarrillo said.
"And it's not just happening here locally: it's happening all across Canada.
"This is the time for the sitting members of parliament to really support the next generation of youth to be able to do decision making. And to increase democracy. There's studies that say that the earlier that we get people voting, the better your democracy is, and we know that that's at risk right now."
As of this publication (Sept. 14), there are 12 nations around the world that allow eligible 16-year-old residents to vote in federal elections, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Scotland and Wales.
And this isn't the first time such a bill has been introduced in Ottawa.
According to Bachrach, MPs across multiple parties have previously advocated for cutting two years off the current legal voting age only to have them quashed.
This includes several attempts by the NDP and one time by a Liberal MP and by former Green Party leader Elizabeth May — also the current MP for Saanich–Gulf Islands.
Now, Bachrach believes the bill has an even greater chance of becoming law based on its cross-party support.
"There are so many young people out there who are intelligent, informed, compassionate and motivated to create change in the world. I think it would be a real benefit to our system to bring them into the conversation," he told the Tri-City News.
"This is about speaking to Canadians about making our system stronger."
In December 2021, Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon told the Tri-City News that teens are becoming more actively "engaged and passionate" about all levels of government.
A vote on Bill C-210 is tenatively scheduled to take place in the House of Commons on Sept. 26.
However, Bachrach said that could change given the current parliamentary calendar pause in light of Queen Elizabeth II's death.
