In January 2024, the recently appointed National/Act/NZ First government declared it would halt proceedings, started under Labour, to lower the voting age from 18 to 16. This declaration was made the same week as the release of the Independent Electoral Review, which included a recommendation to lower the voting age, and came only months after the Supreme Court ruled that the current voting age of 18 breached the Bill of Rights Act in terms of age discrimination.

So what now? On this show, guests Daborah Hart (Independent Electoral Review Chair), Sage Garrett (youth advocacy group Make it 16), Bronwyn Wood (Te Herenga Waka) and Darcy Lawrey (interested young person) share their views on why the voting age should change, and how the government's announcement may impact this goal.