Why Rick Mercer believes the voting age in Canada should be lowered to 16

For the first time ever, q joined forces with The Current to put on a special election town hall in front of a live studio audience in the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. 

It was called "Two Shows, One Stage, Your Vote" and it was a celebration of democracy, why voting matters and the importance of voting in the upcoming federal election.

Canadian satirist Rick Mercer sat down with q's Tom Power to talk about his past efforts to encourage young voters to make it to the ballot box and to offer his thoughts on how to raise voter turnout today.

"Voting is a learned behaviour and it's addictive," said Mercer. "I believe the voting age should be 16. You can join the Canadian military at 16, you can drive farm equipment, we expect you to follow the laws of the land and understand them, so 16-year-olds have responsibility."

You can catch Mercer hosting the Just for Laughs Comedy Night in Canada tour, which kicks off in St. John's on Oct. 23 and continues across Canada.

Watch the full interview with Rick Mercer above. Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link near the top of this page to hear the conversation.