Politics in 2016

[Jed]

Sorry George, but some of those ideas are not as crazy as you are making them out to be.  And keep in mind they are just resolutions to be debated upon not necessarily written in stone.

For one thing I could care less what they force their MPs and candidates to do in order to run.  Their party, their rules.  If they want to take sensitivety training let them fill their boots.

Some of them are a bit far fetched like guaranteed income.

But voting age to sixteen isn't all that far fetched.  At sixteeen you can drive, and chances are you are PAYING TAXES with your part or full time job.  At 16 you can join RMC and at 17 you can join the remainder of the CAF.  Your link to the criminal code is a bit far off when you look at the other things that justify it.  Studies also show that the earlier age that you vote, the more likely you are to be a regular voter for life. 

I would argue that with the Indian act we already are creating a different class of citizen.  Fact is, is that Indigenous peoples in canada have a lower life expectancy than the average Canadian.  I've seen first hand (In INUIT communities at least) the sorry state of dental care...

Expanding universal healthcare is likely a response to an aging population.  Something we are very much not prepared for.  Homecare, palliative care etc is sorely lacking and something needs to be done.

I don't disagree with some of your points but I'll disagree on some of the others.

Our 16 yr olds in present day society seem to display much less responsible, self sufficient tendencies than those in several previous generations.  So how will it do our society any good at all to give the vote to immature people who haven't been around enough or experienced life enough to use their vote intelligently?  In today's world most of the young adults now going to university have not matured sufficiently to even look after themselves let alone be responsible for their fellow man.

Even in the middle east were stupidity runs amok, the youth show more respect for the wisdom of their elders then in our North American culture.

 

[Remius]

Our 16 yr olds in present day society seem to display much less responsible, self sufficient tendencies than those in several previous generations.  So how will it do our society any good at all to give the vote to immature people who haven't been around enough or experienced life enough to use their vote intelligently?  In today's world most of the young adults now going to university have not matured sufficiently to even look after themselves let alone be responsible for their fellow man.

Even in the middle east were stupidity runs amok, the youth show more respect for the wisdom of their elders then in our North American culture.

The sad truth to that is that previous generations have chosen to treat them that way and allow them to be that way.  If you treat them like kids they'll act like kids.  Like I said, at 16 you can get a job, pay taxes, join the CAF, consent to sex, drive a car etc etc.  I know plenty of responsible 16 year olds that can and should vote. 

 

[mariomike]

In today's world most of the young adults now going to university have not matured sufficiently to even look after themselves let alone be responsible for their fellow man.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I was about to make a similar comment, but Remius beat me to it.

I blame us, the parents, not the kids, for this state of affairs.

I raised my boys from the start to make their own decisions, come up with their own solutions and live with the consequences. I let them go on their own to many places on the logic that I was allowed to go there on my own at that age.  They were both mature enough to deal with life and military service if need be, at age 16.

That, unfortunately, puts me in a minority of parents these days, and, had it been known, might have gotten me visited by horrified idiots of the Family Services Office or Child Protection Service, due to the "hovering-parents-movement" attitude of do-gooders supported by imbecilic police forces found in North America (though more frequently down South than here, thankfully). As if it's a life threatening situation for a 12 years old and his 14 years old sister to go to the local park, three blocks away, by themselves!!! 

 

[jmt18325]

Stephen Harper had an approval rating of 61% after his election win in 2006 according to threehundredeight.com. Would you like to make any more unsubstantiated claims, or are you good now?

Sorry, I misspoke.  I should have compared their peak numbers, and numbers 6 months in. 

 

[jmt18325]

Sorry, I misspoke.  I should have compared their peak numbers, and numbers 6 months in.

Btw - they're actually less far apart than I had though - Harper was about 3 points below Trudeau in both circumstances.

 

[George Wallace]

I don't follow party politics, but, "Reserve Force - Applicants may be 16 years of age if they are also enrolled as a full-time high school student."

I think you can apply at 16 but need to be 17 for enrolment.

Either way if you can serve the country you should be allowed to vote.

Now remember, they can enroll WITH their Parents' signed permission.

 

[mariomike]

Now remember, they can enroll WITH their Parents' signed permission.

Right. I forgot to include that.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

At sixteeen you can drive,

 

Yes, but depending on the province, there may be some caveats (e.g) You can't drive at night, you have to have a co-driver (who in some cases has to have a regular license), etc)

[a]nd chances are you are PAYING TAXES with your part or full time job.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you would only pay taxes if you pass a certain threashhold? And working at Macdonald's you are unlikely to pass that threashhold.

At 16 you can join RMC and at 17 you can join the remainder of the CAF.

As already pointed out, you can only join the CF at 17 if you have your parents/gaurdians permission.

I would argue that with the Indian act we already are creating a different class of citizen.

Agreed. They need to overhall the Act.

 

[mariomike]

As already pointed out, you can only join the CF at 17 if you have your parents/gaurdians permission.

To apply to the Forces, you must:
1.Be a Canadian Citizen.
2.Be 17 years of age, with parental consent, or older, except:
•Regular Officer Training Plan – Junior applications must be 16 or older.
•Reserve Force - Applicants may be 16 years of age if they are also enrolled as a full-time high school student.
http://www.forces.ca/en/page/applynow-100#who

Many, many,  pages of discussion on that subject. 

 

[Remius]

 

Yes, but depending on the province, there may be some caveats (e.g) You can't drive at night, you have to have a co-driver (who in some cases has to have a regular license), etc)

Except (in Ontario at least) that has nothing to do with age.  A 33 year old getting his licence has the same caveats
 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you would only pay taxes if you pass a certain threashhold? And working at Macdonald's you are unlikely to pass that threashhold.

same with this.  Not age dependant.


As already pointed out, you can only join the CF at 17 if you have your parents/gaurdians permission.

Doesn't change the fact that you should be able to vote if you can serve your country.

Agreed. They need to overhall the Act.

 

[mariomike]

I know plenty of responsible 16 year olds that can and should vote.

An interesting discussion about that,

Liberals Want Voting Age Lowered to 16
http://army.ca/forums/threads/80959.75.html
4 pages.

 

[George Wallace]

As already pointed out, you can only join the CF at 17 if you have your parents/gaurdians permission.

Doesn't change the fact that you should be able to vote if you can serve your country.

OK?  According to that logic, they should be able to vote as long as they have their parents' written permission.    [

 

[Remius]

And just to be clear, I'm also in favour of 16 year olds being tried as adults.  At 16 you know right from wrong.

 

[Journeyman]

An interesting discussion about that,

Liberals Want Voting Age Lowered to 16
http://army.ca/forums/threads/80959.75.html
4 pages.

Funny review.  Several people banned; a couple of people warned; a union tangent.....based on a potential Provincial  voting change.

At the Federal level, this could all just go away if the rhetoric was changed from "if you're old enough to serve, you're old enough to vote" to "if you are  serving, you're old enough to vote."  It would be dropped in a heartbeat because "those serving 'oppressed child mercenaries' can't be trusted to vote -- they're obviously brainwashed by the knuckle-dragging war-mongers."

Starship Troopers -- become a Citizen.  ;D

 

[Brad Sallows]

>Either way if you can serve the country you should be allowed to vote.

What exactly is the chain of reasoning from which the latter follows the former?

"If you can tie your shoes, you should be allowed to carry a handgun in Parliament."

See, I can do it, too.

 

[GAP]

Hmmmm......seeing as the last election was based on shiny hair and marijuana.....imagine all the additional votes to be had by lowering the voting age to 16.....

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Hmmmm......seeing as the last election was based on shiny hair and marijuana.....imagine all the additional votes to be had by lowering the voting age to 16.....

There it is.......and that's all the liberal thinking behind it. Stacking the vote, plain and simple.

 

[Remius]

>Either way if you can serve the country you should be allowed to vote.

What exactly is the chain of reasoning from which the latter follows the former?

"If you can tie your shoes, you should be allowed to carry a handgun in Parliament."

See, I can do it, too.

The same reasoning they lowered the age from 21 to 18, not just here but in many countries.  It is a debate not just limited to Canada.  If you can make a decision to sign on to join your country's armed forces and swear allegiance to the crown and serve it no matter whether you agree with who is in charge then are you saying that the same person cannot make an informed decision at age 16? 

 

[jollyjacktar]

Christ almighty, there's plenty of idiots my age who cannot make an informed decision.