Senator Pauline Hanson has fiercely rejected calls from The Greens and Independent Monique Ryan to lower the voting age to 16, calling the proposal reckless and dangerous. Citing her experience as a parent and parliamentarian, Hanson argues that many teenagers are too confused, underprepared, and heavily influenced by ideological agendas in the education system. She warned that giving politically immature and socially conditioned youth the vote could steer the country “down the bloody drain,” even suggesting the voting age be raised to 21.