The kids have had their say. It’s our turn next.

I didn’t attend the rallies against Pauline Hanson and One Nation.

I didn’t walk out of school.

I didn’t carry a placard or march through the streets.

And, thankfully, nobody expected me to explain to a maths teacher why I was absent.

But I watched those young Australians take to the streets because they are worried about the country they are going to inherit.

And it got me thinking.

Those kids are doing what they can.

I can do something they can’t.

I can vote.

And when the next election comes around, I’ll be setting an example too.

Because democracy isn’t simply about complaining about politicians we don’t like. It isn’t about yelling at the television, abusing someone on Facebook or sharing another meme.

Ultimately, it’s about walking into a polling booth and deciding what sort of country we want to live in.

Those students don’t yet have that privilege.

We do.

So while they have made their voices heard in the streets, perhaps the rest of us should think about how we intend to make ours heard when it matters most.

The kids have had their say.

Next it’s our turn.

I know what I’m doing with my vote.

Hint: I stand with those kids.