THEUKISSETTOLOWERTHE VOTINGAGETO16.
ShouldAustraliafollowsuit?
Last month UK Prime Minister, Kier Starmer, announced that the United Kingdom will lower the voting age from 18 to 16.
This comes as a move to “futureproof” British democracy following consistent declines in democratic engagement The rise in the far-right populist party the “Reform party” in the UK has put a spotlight on the future of British democracy, and whether or not current systems have the capacity to combat political backsliding Currently, only 19% of British citizens are satisfied with the way democracy is upheld within which Britain had just experienced the lowest voter turnout in British history since 2001
By lowering the voting age the UK is hoping to encourage more young people to get involved in politics, which has been promising in neighbouring countries like Scotland and Wales which have also lowered the voting age.
But is lowering the voting age a good thing?
Those in favour of lowering the age, argue that 16 year olds share the same struggles and responsibilities as 18 year olds, but without the privilege of voting. Things like paying tax, working jobs, providing medical consent, and even military service In fact, when Australia lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, the main argument put forward was that if 18 year olds could fight and die for the country,
InekaLeffler
having just experienced mass youth casualties in the Vietnam War, then they should be able to vote
However, many say that 16 year olds simply have yet to acquire the level of political knowledge and/or experience necessary to make an educated vote This links to a broader issue leaders around the world including our own governor-general are trying to tackle, which is that current media literacy levels do not have the ability to withstand misinformation online.
Experts say that lowering the voting age should be a first step in a broader effort to improve democratic engagement and political literacy, so that when individuals do cast their vote it is a true reflection of their values
But what could it mean for Australia?
Globally and nationally, data suggest that there is a strong correlation between young voters and the success of left-leaning parties For example, in the federal election Gen Z and Millennial voters comprised 47% of the voting population, and simultaneously, Labor experienced a landslide victory This has the potential to continue if the voting age is lowered
In both the recent federal election, and the Tasmanian state election, lowering the voting age was not a primary policy point But this isn’t to say it hasn’t been discussed
In 2023 Anne Aly, Minister for Youth at the time, made clear in an interview with The Daily Aus that the Labor party is not against lowering the voting age, however it is “not a priority that young people have said they want us to focus on” Optional voting for 16 and 17 year olds was put forward in 2021 by the Greens in Tasmanian parliament, however, did not pass
Looking ahead, Independent Monique Ryan pledged to put forward a lowering the age bill in federal parliament later this year
So, lowering the age is definitely in the air here in Australia. From women reserving the right in 1902, indigenous Australians in 1962, and 18 year olds in 1973, we’ve been adapting requirements since the beginning. Could this be the next big thing for Australia's voting history?
PRO-PALESTINE
This semester, Resistance Lutruwita is holding read-ins at Morris Miller Library to raise awareness and show solidarity for Gaza.The first was held on the 6th of August.
For an hour, Resistance campaigner, Matt, read from political scientist Ilan Pappe’s 12 Myths About Israel On a soapbox in Level 2 foyer, his voice carried easily up to the crowdedLevel3
As a small group gathered to listen, shouts from Level 3 echoed down in minutes
“We’re all just trying to do our work, mate, it’s a university”
“Look, he’s saving the world,” another mocked
It doesn’t take long for a security guard to show up, asking Matt to leave. “I’m just exercising a bit of free speech” he reminded the guard. Despite making phone calls and assuring onlookers “we’re dealing with it,” the guard doesn’t interrupt Matt again. It’s as if reading in a library does not, in fact, warrant eviction
The reading continues through more yells to shut up, and bizarrely, the upending of a water bottle from above One person sits fuming, hands clamped over their ears, until the hour is up “See you next week for Chapter 2” Matt says, and heads off “We got through it,” exclaims an onlooker, highfiving a friend
The overall response to the read-in was intolerant and dismissive of both the issue at hand and the method of protest itself Does it mean that readins like this are needlessly disruptive and aggravating?
“It’s just annoying, assignments are starting to pile up” one onlooker told me “He’s got a right to speak about things like this, but there is a time and a place.”
The helpful existence of noisecancelling earphones, earbuds and whole other floors of the library aside, it’s true that actions like read-ins are disruptive. But not only is that the point- UTAS students need to know about the war in Gaza UTAS’ links to Israel’s war machine; the university maintains research partnerships with the Australian branches of weapons manufacturers BAE Systems and Hensoldt “While it is disruptive to students and staff at UTAS who are
not directly responsible for UTAS’ collaboration with weapons manufacturers,” Matt said, “its important that the university understands that business cannot continue as usual”We have the power to pressure the university to do better, as members of the community. That gives us a collective responsibility to interrogate the choices the university is making on our behalf. That’s why I believe that actions like read-ins justify a short interruption into our quiet study time.
I think it’s safe to say that most students probably think that supporting weapons manufacturers enabling war crimes is bad; and yet, we’re shutting ourselves off from collective actions, community organising and on-campus activism
“People are increasingly isolated from these institutions,” said Solomon from Resistance “We passively interact with them through online lectures, which makes us extremely apathetic”
This apathy and disconnect is worrying for the future of collective action at UTAS, and the strength of the entire community Being open to new ideas, learning from and supporting each other, and using collective power to shape our institutions- these ideas are as vital to a university education as our degrees themselves.
Actions like read-ins help enable an environment where this is possible.By disrupting the status quo (and yes, sometimes the library quiet) our bubbles are popped, giving us opportunity and knowledge for discussions, debates, and organising But only if we listen “This book is just one modest invitation to future scholars to leave their ivory towers and reconnect with the societies on whose behalf they conduct their research”
Here, the author of 10 Myths About Israel Ilan Pappe addresses academics writing on Israel and Gaza, suggesting that academic writing can redress power imbalance and inform public debate, when it is courageous and principled, rather than balanced to the point of balance Pappe’s words, read aloud by Matt, serve as a reminder of the influence we hold as students, staff, researchers, writers, activists and community members. We should be the last to turn away when an idea is questioned, when our actions and inactions are interrogated, when those in power are challenged. Listen. As one of our peers pointed out on Wednesday, “It’s a university”
For more information, follow Resistance Lutruwita ( @resistancelutruwita )
WHYMYANMAR MATTERS: AFRONTLINEIN AUSTRALIA’S INDO-PACIFIC FUTURE
In the jungles of Myanmar, a struggle for freedom is unfolding - not just for a nation, but for the future shape of the Indo-Pacific.
This conflict, often ignored in Australia’s public discourse, is not a distant, foreign issue. It is a defining front in the global contest for sovereignty, human dignity, and regional stability. It matters for Australiaand urgently so.
Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar has plunged into a brutal civil war But
what began as a crisis has become a turning point Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs), People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), and prodemocracy actors have united in an unprecedented coalition to resist military dictatorship and lay the foundation for a new federal democracy. Their unity grows stronger and stronger each day that passes. This matters for Australia for three crucial reasons: security, our values, and strategic independence
First, regional security Myanmar shares borders with China, India, and Thailand Its collapse into permanent conflict threatens regional destabilisation, arms trafficking, refugee flows, and transnational criminal networks. If Australia wants a secure Indo-Pacific, it must care about what happens in Myanmar. The fall of the junta would remove a key node in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and send a powerful signal across Southeast Asia that sovereignty cannot be won through oppression
Second, our values and credibility Australia has long championed democracy, rule of law, and human rights in international forums But when our neighbours risk everything to uphold these values - and we remain silent - we undercut our moral leadership The people of Myanmar are not asking for soldiers They are asking for recognition, political support, humanitarian aid, and the tools to stand on their own feet To ignore them is to tell the region that democracy is conditional and selective
Third, strategic opportunity A free, federal Myanmar aligned with democratic partners offers Australia and our Western Alliance with Japan, Korea, India, the U K and U S access to a like-minded government on China’s western flank It would unlock new supply chains in critical minerals, strengthen maritime security in the Bay of Bengal, and support a multipolar
Asia that resists domination by any one power Myanmar doesn’t have to be a liability - it can be a linchpin
I have seen this firsthand In late 2023 and early 2024, I helped coordinate frontline operations whilst providing medical and humanitarian support during Operation 1027 - a landmark offensive that turned the tide of a near 80-year long war, liberated millions of people from Junta oppression with over 40% of the nation taken from the Military Regime. What I saw was not chaos, but coordination.Not hatred, but hope.
The resistance doesn’t just want to bring a just end to the junta who has waged a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing since 1948, renewed following the 2021 coup - they want to build a new unified Myanmar One that is plural, free, just and peaceful Australia now faces a choice: engage with the forces of democratic renewal or abandon a neighbour to dictatorship and Chinese client-state status This is not charity - it is strategy And the time to act is now
What CanWe Do?
This is not only a matter for diplomats and politicians - it’s a call to action for our universities, classrooms, and research communities
Students can raise awareness, build solidarity networks with Myanmar students, and advocate for policy attention through student unions and forums If you care about international justice, human rights, or Indo-Pacific security - this is your issue. Academics and researchers can connect with Myanmar scholars in exile, publish on federalism, civil resistance, and postconflict reconstruction, and help develop the intellectual architecture for a new Myanmar. UTAS, with its history of research excellence, is well placed to lead Educators can bring Myanmar into the curriculum - not just as a case study in tragedy, but as an active chapter in global
democratic resilience Let students ask hard questions: What does solidarity look like in a multipolar world? What is Australia's role in the fate of its region? By engaging with Myanmar now - through dialogue, partnership, and scholarshipwe not only aid a struggling people but sharpen our own national conscience and capacity.Myanmar is not far away.It is our neighbour. And our future is bound together more than we realise.
STATECOUNCIL UPDATE
JackOatesPryor
Howdy, guys, gals and non-binary pals, I hope everyone is tracking well in Semester 2!
Just a quick update from me and your State Council; Metro: through our advocacy, all Southern students now have free Metro bus access between the city and Sandy Bay - FREE if you show your Student ID card!
We've been working on a new Students as Partners (a framework to involve students voices in every student-related decision made at the University) model for UTAS to roll out in co-ownership withTUSA
Launch and roll-out of our own student-led GBV Awareness Campaign on campus
First meeting of our majority-student TUSA Board, meaning students have a greater say in how TUSA continues to serve our student body Agreement of a three-year funding agreement, meaning more financial stability for TUSA than we've seen in almost 15 years!
Sustained advocacy for a strong, renewed Disability Action Plan.
Take care, Jack Oates Pryor
2025TUSA Student President
email:President@TUSA.utas.edu.au
ISOWNINGA PETTHE ULTIMATE LUXURY?
EvelynUnwinTew
Did you know that higher pet ownership is an indicator of increased socio-economic status within suburban settings? Well I didn’t either!
I was at a party the other week and someone mentioned to me that the suburb they’d grown up in was ‘obviously lower socioeconomic status (SES) as there were very few pets’. I was dumbfounded. Why did fewer pets have anything to do with what SES their suburb was?
So afterwards, I did a bit of reading, and it turns out, it is true (in a way…). Like any statistic, it’s a little more complicated than a one-line statement, but the ethos of the sentiment can be very reflective of suburbs
So what have sociological studies actually found? Apparently, this link is for a variety of reasons, ranging from financial costs (pet food, beds etc), time costs (walking time, feeding time), and finally lifestyle costs There are also other factors at play, such as, pedigree dogs vs mixed breeds Additionally, dog owners from higher SES areas are more likely to get a dog for exercise reasons Whereas, owners with a higher educational background are more likely to get a dog because they like the company of animals vs owners with lower education levels are more likely to get a dog for social support, especially those who are involuntarily alone However, something to note is that while these trends are supported in Australia, both the aforementioned studies were undertaken in Denmark and China, respectively. In Hobart, and Tassie generally, we don’t have suburb specific pet ownership numbers so it makes this analysis a little more difficult, but you can do your own visual research. Have a think about what you’re seeing in different suburbs around our city Something to consider, might be where you think designer dog breed mixes fit into this system While they aren’t
pedigree, I would argue the Goldenshitzudoodle is probably not an indicator associated with working class communities
So maybe the next time you go for a walk around our leafy Sandy Bay, you’ll stop and think a little bit more about the 15 Golden Retrievers that pass you with their Lululemon clad owners
TOGS’SNEWLOOK
YES! Togatus has had a glow up! We decided that as the Summer I Turned Pretty is so popoular we’d make it the WinterWeTurned (even more)Wicked. Our new Tog blue is paired with elements that highlight our history and heritage For example, our new header combines our new ‘togatus’ logo with our previous 2025 ‘fortnightly’ font, and header graphics pulled from a 1992 edition of Togatus, titled‘TheTogTribune’
With our new brand design we hope to show how proud we are of our heritage and the Togatus editors that have come before us, while still being true to today’s student body Have no fear though it’s the same indepdent voice sharing real shit from real people, just with a new six pack
