Carleton’s four campus political clubs participated in a virtual debate Feb. 19. While this debate may not have carried the same weight as those featuring the nation’s political leaders, it was nonetheless a crucial part of our political system.
Canada’s democracy is a system in which all Canadian residents should feel allowed to participate, and yet, student participation in national and local politics is often lacking.
An Elections Canada report found only 54 per cent of eligible youths aged 18 to 24 came out to vote in the 2019 federal election. The agency’s 2015 National Youth Survey found that one of the primary reasons young people don’t vote is because they believe the government does not care about their priorities.
And yet, young people are clearly interested in politics. Students lead sit-ins, marches and other forms of protest every year all over the country in hopes of catching the attention of political leaders. A Statistics Canada survey from 2013 found that younger generations are more likely than older generations to participate in non-electoral civic and political activities.
Events like the debate held by Carleton’s four student-led political clubs give students an opportunity to not only express their political views, but to express them in a way that addresses how Canada’s mainstream political parties can bring about the changes young people wish to see. They serve as important opportunities for tomorrow’s political leaders to gain the experience necessary to eventually bring issues young people care about to government, and remind politically-disengaged students that mainstream politics have a place on campus, as well.
As election turnouts have dropped over the past two decades, it is imperative young people’s interest in voting is established early on. A student’s post-secondary experience has a profound influence on the person they will become, and events like campus debates serve to educate students on the importance of political engagement.
Featured graphic from file.
