A couple of weeks ago, I put myself in the running for a student representative position in the Political Science department. From all accounts, no more than a dozen people voted. Three of those people were the three candidates running.My first thought? Not that it was a shame that I didn't win. Instead, a sense of total discouragement. If students in political science couldn't be persuaded to stroll into their department, sign their name and put a checkmark in a box, what are the chances they will get on a bus or drive to a voting station should the Governor General call an election?
Even more, what are the chances they know who the Governor General is?
By no means am I comparing a student rep election to a federal one, in terms of the impact it will have on their lives, but the principle is the same. I think the level of voter apathy among youth is disturbing. I also think that little is being done, or can be done, to change that.
But a few days later, I came across a link to a video that caught my attention.
"Harper sings Beatles song with Yo Yo Ma."
If at this point, you're saying 'I haven't seen that because I've been living under a rock for the last three weeks'. After being terrified, nervous and completely amused, I was impressed. As far as I'm concerned, this took a lot of political balls.
Sure, he didn't sing the falsetto parts, but no one who watches that can honestly tell me it didn't make them love Canada a little bit more. Will it help Harper in the next election? Not likely. Unfortunately, I would guess this is the most young people have paid attention to the Prime Minister in their life.
The point however remains. In order for most young people to pay attention to Canadian politics, the Prime Minister has to get up on stage and cover a Beatles song.
It's easy for many people to argue that young people don't vote because they don't care. We couldn't care less who our elected government was, as long as there is one. The fact that so many young people have said in polls that they don't feel their vote means anything, is blamed on ignorance and a lack of caring.
The truth is, youth voter apathy is a direct result of the system we have in place. Young people feel that their votes don't count, because they often don't. In the last election, the Green Party won about seven per cent of the vote nationwide, yet walked away with no seats in Parliament. A party that gains a significant amount of its support from young voters has no representation in our current government.
The NDP, another party that relies heavily on young voter support, received close to 18 per cent of the vote, and won 37 seats. In contrast, the Bloc Quebecois, which exists to push for the separation of Quebec from the rest of Canada, received just 10 per cent of the vote (all in Quebec), and won 49 seats.
Does this not explain why young people might feel as if their vote doesn't count for much? As a Brock student living in St. Catharines, I vote in a riding that is overwhelmingly Conservative. Since my vote was cast for a losing candidate, it is fair to say that I lack representation in the government that makes decisions for me.
Knowing I am in a mostly Conservative area, could I be blamed for not bothering to vote?
It's a shame that young people in Canada are faced with this system. It's no wonder that the closest we feel to our government is when it's "[getting] high with a little help from [his] friends".
Posts
