Archive for the ‘Youth Politics’ Category

Today Harper’s strategy on fixing youth unemployment came out.

As you can guess by my headline I am thoroughly unimpressed by it. Angry, too.

When youth unemployment is double the average unemployment, an 80,000 spike in youth unemployment over the last two years, and recalling the more than 400,000 unemployed youths last year, the Harper government has chosen to give a token increase of 3,500 additional spots to a program that had been destroyed under their watch. This pittance of an act resolves nothing and spits in the face of every student everywhere.

I’m insulted that he thinks that this will quiet the anger and frustration of students and of youth across this country. I’ve written about this issue before (twice [1, 2]) and I’m frustrated that this farce is being put up as a solution to my fellow colleagues.

It also showcases a spectacular admission on behalf of the Tories that they think they can wave this shiny distraction to push away the accusations of their abandonment of the next generation.

And the cherry atop of this cake? The Tories cancelled the Canadian Summer Jobs program in 2006. They cancelled a Liberal program that helped students in the same manner that they’re now pushing forward. A program that helped 15,000 more students than this current program. A program that is now being returned to existence under a different name… and only after there was a mass public outcry, and $11 million lighter.

I am angry. I will not be tricked. And I will not stand by as Harper continues to abuse students.

CalgaryLiberal.com heartily endorses Mateusz Trybowski in his nomination to the position of Vice President of the International Federation of Liberal Youth.

I first met Matt in my first year of university within the bounds of the University of Calgary’s Liberal Association, then at numerous regional conferences, and even pitched in a little in his bid for donations for his trip to attend the Copenhagen Conference in 2009. Matt has shown an exemplary ability to organize, to facilitate, and to debate in every instance I’ve seen him in action. I was blown away by his over-capacity town hall he orchestrated and organized in the fall of ’09, the speakers he brought in, and the strong environmentalist message he was able to communicate to the University of Calgary student body and to the province of Alberta.

He is a keen organizer, an ardent environmentalist, a fighter for the liberal cause, and all round good guy. Without a single doubt in my mind he is the perfect man for the job and will stun IFLRY (and people around the world) in anything he endeavours to do.

Vincent St. Pierre

www.CalgaryLiberal.com

Recently a website has come to my attention called Chandlerlist.info (Twitter). The author of that website writes of a conspiracy being committed by a Craig Chandler (Twitter, organization), specifically in that Mr. Chandler is trying to influence politics by creating “proxy candidates” to run for him because, in theory, he himself cannot run because of past public relations issues.

Three quick points for the anonymous writer:

1. The legal problems you just created for yourself are legion. You made a good choice by getting your domain name done by proxy and hiding your private details, but eventually you’ll be found out. You’ll definitely be found out if you continue to write about Mr. Chandler seeing that (a) he’s a smart guy and (b) he has smart people with him in his posse. I suggest you consult a lawyer and be prepared for the legal eventuality.
2. Understand that calling Mr. Chandler a “snake,” a “fiend,” leader of a “cult,” or a possessor of “fringe” beliefs does not help you or your argument. Rather, show how he’s a fringe person, show how he’s a fiendish law-suit junky, and show how he is duplicitous. Most people do not know who Mr. Chandler is or how active he has been in Albertan politics, and you’ll likely be the first contrarian voice to him that they will find. If they find a mean-spirited rant they’ll skip your opinion. If they find logical, cited, and informative content they’ll continue reading. Make your presentation count.
3. Please, oh please, understand that Chandler has different politics than you but he does have body of people with him that shares his beliefs. To downgrade and insult him is to insult a great many Albertans, albeit they’re in the minority. But being in the minority does not matter since all Albertans and all individuals should command respect and dignity from people. Respect is key here.

Finally, while you might just find that Craig Chandler is evil incarnate or what-have-you… he does want a better Alberta. It might not be like the better Alberta in your vision, or in many others, but he sees something on the horizon and he’s reaching for it. He is training people, getting people together, and trying to achieve something here. He is leading.

He has also been one of the only political guys in Alberta–nay, in the country–that have actively sought out young Canadians to teach them the campaign craft and inclusion into politics. As an example, for his Leadership Institute event on political campaigning that he had a two months ago (I wrote about it, actually, here) he posted numerous times to the University of Calgary’s Wildrose and Conservative campus club facebook groups, contacted dozens of young politicos, bugged professors and teachers to plug his event, and even gave me–an ‘evil’ Liberal–a $65 discount so that a young, curious politically-minded young man could attend the two-day training seminar.

Personally, I find a lot of his ideas illogical and based on false assumptions. At the end of the day I can recognize he’s invigorating people and getting people involved, though. And that there, of engaging people, is worth quite a bit and should be noted in anyone’s appraisal of Mr. Chandler.

• Don’t know what CNGPM is? Read its wiki page.
• CBC page.
• Watch online at ctv.ca
• The Canadian Youth Assembly, a non-partisan advocacy youth group and Model Parliament, has called on the CBC to continue the program seeing that its cancellation “breaks from a long tradition of engaging youth in the political process outside the usual election cycle.”

Without an announcement to its cancellation, it seems like Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister will fall into darkness after a solid 14 years straight programming. This saddens me because it smacks at the core of the issue of youth participation in Canadian politics and indifference to the indifference: when the voting and activism of youth are so painfully low the public broadcasting service, supposed to encourage and promote things in society, fails to do so.

Another reason why I was sad was because, quite frankly, I was intent on running this year. I even bought domain names (www.VoteVin.ca and www.VincentStPierre.com) and prepared a dossier of ideas/proposals to run with.