Students of York, vote.
Now, of course this is not required to pass a class, or to even live on fine Canadian soil, but so many young and older people are not voting and it’s showing in the statistics. Canada’s voter turnout is getting lower and lower, who knows if Canada will even pass the class we call election day.
So, in order to get more voters out to cast votes, there needs to be awareness and education spread to all eager Canadian citizens so they can do something. A person who is educated about the young Canadian voter population is Paul Kershaw, professor at the University of British Columbia and founder of the organization Generation Squeeze. Excalibur sat down with Kershaw in an attempt to “squeeze” out some valuable pieces of information on young voters, and how they can make a difference.
Excalibur: Tell us about your organization
Paul Kershaw: Generation Squeeze is a science-based, national non-partisan lobby for citizens, not shareholders. We’re building power for Canadians in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and the children they represent. We are inspired by the important lobbying work that CARP has performed on behalf of Canadians age 50 and older for decades.
E: In your words, what is the biggest issue that today’s millennial are facing? How did it get to be this way?
PK: Younger Canadians are squeezed by stagnant earnings, high costs, less time, and a deteriorating environment, even though our economy produces more wealth than ever. With this prosperity, federal and provincial governments adapt more urgently for others, but continue down paths that leaves less for younger Canadians.
E: How does Generation Squeeze aim to change the system so that more attention is being given to millennial issues?
PK: We know that politics isn’t entirely broken. Politics still responds to those who organize and show up, not simply during an election. But also, and equally importantly, well before an election so that we shape the design of platforms offered by all parties. To do this, we are building a big network that will reach hundreds of thousands strong. We will identify ridings that have historically close election results and meet with all parties in a strictly non-partisan way saying, “You won last time by 1,500 votes. Or, you lost last time by 1,500 votes. We have, for example, 3,412 Gen Squeeze allies in your riding. We only need to move a fraction of them to make the difference between winning and losing your local election.”
Suddenly, every person in that riding will ask, what’s in our platform for Generation Squeeze?
When we do that in 20 or so ridings, we will have every leader of every party asking the same question, and then boom.
By getting organized and building our power outside the world of politics, we can change the incentives to which all political parties respond to inside the world of politics.
Incentives that motivate politicians to work effectively for all generations by protecting the medical care and old-age security on which our aging parents and grandparents depend on, while also adapting policy to ease the time, money, service, and environmental squeeze facing Canadians in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and the children they represent.
“This involves Canada as well as other countries globally,” Kershaw says. “But the slow pace of government adaptation for younger Canadians in comparison with the more urgent pace of adaptation for others is a national problem that we have to solve province by province at the federal level.”
“We can all be change-makers on a grand national scale. We can be powerful enough to protect the medical care and old age security on which our parents and grandparents depend, while also adapting policy to ease the squeeze on younger Canadians.”
By comparison with a generation ago, Canadians in our 20s, 30s, and 40s have been dealt with a lemon. But we can squeeze back together to make lemonade, he says.
It is extremely simple to get involved and each person can make a difference.
Take it from Kershaw, he got involved and look where he is at now. Anyone can do it, and if you’re wondering where to start, start at the voting booth.
Faith Balshin, Contributor
Featured illustration by Jasmine Wiradharma
