Petition Keep The Voting Age At 18

We the undersigned petition the government to keep the voting age for public elections and referenda at it's current level of 18 years of age. One of the main arguments in favour of lowering the voting age is that 16 and 17 year olds can pay tax, however whether or not an individual pays taxes should be of no relevance to whether that individual has a vote in our democratic society. Equally, the mere fact that 16 and 17 year olds can pay tax doesn't mean that the majority actually do, and similarly the mere fact that 16 and 17 year olds can be directors of companies, get married and change their names does not mean the majority actually do. The opportunities for 16 and 17 year olds to become involved in the political system are also more than adequate. They can join political parties and pressure groups just as anyone else can, not having a vote doesnt inhibit this. But fundamentally, it is ultimately only a case of waiting just two years before they will get the vote.