The Wire

Young Australians are making their voices heard today, on the first day of this year’s Youth Parliament. They say governments are finally taking their concerns seriously. Last year a bill was passed in the NSW Youth Parliament on optional voting, which would give 16- and 17-year-olds the choice to vote in elections. The idea was later brought up in a federal government discussion paper on electoral reform. The students hope they will have a similar impact this year.