Fredericton – David Coon, leader of New Brunswick’s Green Party, yesterday introduced a bill to lower the voting age from 18 to 5.
“It’s time we start giving the youngest among us a voice,” Coon explained to a packed crowd in the Legislative Assembly Thursday afternoon. “These kids can talk, they’ve started kindergarten, most of them can even tie their own shoes. They should also have a say in the politics of our province.”
“By the age of 5, children can recognize their favourite colours, and they also react to familiar faces. And that’s all it takes to win a New Brunswicker’s vote anyway, right?” Coon elaborated. “And many 5-year-olds — granted, not all of them — can read, so they’re just as literate and equipped to make decisions as anyone else in this province.”
Some skeptics of the bill are saying Coon only wants it to pass because kids are proven to love the colour green, and it will lead to more votes for his party.
“I think this good for me,” said hopeful voter Samantha Goodine, 5, of New Maryland. Goodine elaborated that the Green Party shares a lot of her ideals, such as later bedtimes and no time-outs.
The provincial voting age in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador remains at 18. Federally, the age is also 18. Debate on Coon’s controversial bill will take place in early 2015.