Voting at 16

I find Sue Bradford's proposal to lower the voting age interesting, if somewhat flawed. I agree with Sue Bradford that there are plenty of 16 year olds that have more maturity than a lot of 40 year olds, and at that age they are more likely to be aware of political activity than a lot of older people.

But what I can't understand is the inconsistancy - while some legal rights are given to 16 year olds, there are many that are withheld until they are more mature. A 16 year old cannot obtain credit, cannot live away from a parents home without the parents permission, cannot purchase alcohol or cigarettes, cannot be deployed to war, and so on.

And why sixteen? You can get a drivers license at 15 - roading is a big political issue. There are legal responsibilities on 12 year olds in criminal law, so why not lower the age to 12.

Is Sue Bradford drafting a law that will allow 16 year olds to get credit cards, buy booze and baccy, leave home and go to war?