CBC article on Ontario budget mentions my youth voter registration policy

Yes, this is shameless self-promotion on my part, but hey, my Mom thought it was cool:

"The Liberals also plan to revamp the Grade 10 Civics curriculum to get students more involved in their communities and introduce voter registration in high schools."

Brush up on my youth democratic participation and civic education policy in time for provincial council!

With provincial council coming up this weekend, here's a brush up on my policy that got prioritized by the Ontario Young Liberals at Summer Fling back in August. Here is a blog post I wrote outlining some of the stats and evidence behind this policy, and why I think it would work for Ontario.

ENCOURAGING YOUTH DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION AND IMPROVING CIVIC EDUCATION

BY: WILLIAM NORMAN, MISSISSAUGA SOUTH

WHEREAS the lowest voter registration rates are for young voters 18-24 years of age

WHEREAS there is a positive correlation between voting and being registered as a voter before General Voting Day

WHEREAS Australia and several American states allow for voter registration below the age of 18

WHEREAS the Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia recommended in 2011 in his Report to the Legislative Assembly to amend the BC Elections Act to allow the provisional registration of individuals when they are 16 years of age

WHEREAS Ontario Young Liberals have previously passed policies encouraging youth democratic participation and improving the Civics class as part of Ontario’s curriculum

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Ontario government amend the Ontario Elections Act to permit the registration of individuals onto the voter list when they are 15 years of age

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Ontario government amend the Ontario High School curriculum to include the voter registration process, as the majority of students in grade 10 would be 15

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Ontario government continues to work with post-secondary educational institutions to help students living away from home vote.

Final version of my policy to be presented at Summer Fling: Encouraging Youth Democratic Participation and Improving Civic Education

My original policy had some friendly amendments for clarity and language, so here is what I'll be presenting at Summer Fling this weekend:

Encouraging Youth Democratic Participation and Improving Civic Education (Provincial)

By: William Norman, Mississauga South  

WHEREAS – The lowest voter registration rates are for young voters 18-24 years of age

WHEREAS – There is a positive correlation between voting and being registered as a voter before General Voting Day

WHEREAS – Australia and several American states allow for voter registration below the age of 18

WHEREAS – The Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia recommended in 2011 in his Report to the Legislative Assembly to amend the BC Elections Act to allow the provisional registration of individuals when they are 16 years of age

WHEREAS – Ontario Young Liberals have previously passed policies encouraging youth democratic participation and improving the Civics class as part of Ontario’s curriculum

BE IT RESOLVED THAT – The Ontario government amend the Ontario Elections Act to permit the registration of individuals onto the voter list when they are 16 years of age

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT – The Ontario government amend the Ontario High School curriculum to include the voter registration process, as the majority of students in grade 10 would be 16. 

Here are some backgrounders promoting youth pre-registration:

Here is the 2011 report from the Chief Electoral Officer of BC where he recommends allowing youth to pre-register to vote at 16

"Encouraging youth participation

The lowest voter registration rates are for young voters 18-24 years of age. There is a 

positive correlation between voting and being registered as a voter before General Voting 

Day. The most effective means of registering youth may be to approach them before they 

graduate from high school. Currently, voter registration is restricted to those at least 18 

years of age, an age when many youth have left high school. 

Australia has addressed this issue by allowing provisional voter registration of 17 year 

olds. Several American states have provisional registration for 16 or 17 year olds, or 

have introduced Bills or declared their intention to do so in this regard.

Legislators may wish to consider allowing the provisional registration of individuals 

when they are 16 years of age. The voting age could remain at 18, with provisional 

registration becoming an active registration on an individual’s 18th birthday. Permitting 

early registration at the age of 16 would permit Elections BC to work with schools and 

the driver licensing program to ensure maximum exposure to the registration process for 

young voters. Many high school teachers have expressed support for this concept as it 

would allow meaningful action by their students in the context of civics education. 

Improving the accessibility of registration opportunities for youth may have a longer-term 

effect on voter engagement and turnout."

This has background on how several US states allow youth pre-registration

"Several other states have changed registration rules to encourage civic participation by youth. 

In Hawaii, eligible 16-year-olds are allowed to pre-register so that their voter status is 

automatically activated at age 18. In the states of Connecticut, Iowa, Florida, Maine, 

Wisconsin, Missouri, and Texas, pre-registration is open to 17 year olds. Federal legislation 

was introduced in 2004, the Gateway to Democracy Act, to allow teenagers to preregister, 

with an emphasis on those applying for their driver’s licenses (in most states, at 16 years of 

age). Wisconsin reaches out to young voters with a state law establishing a “registration 

deputy” at every high school, filled by a volunteering teacher or staff person."

Here is a really in-depth study of the impact of youth pre-registration in Hawaii and Florida, demonstrating the link between pre-registering and actual voter turnout as well as the importance of civic education from George Mason University

"Thousands of young people in these states take advantage of preregistration, and preregistration appears to have positive and persisting long-term effects on their voting propensities...Success of preregistration is maximized when election officials and educators act as partners.... As policy makers consider how to implement preregistration programs elsewhere, providing for means of ensuring participation by educators, such as requiring preregistration as a component of a mandatory high school civics curriculum, will likely result in the most robust implementation of preregistration."

That last quote I think really brings it home. 

"Political parties aren't perfect, but that's why I belong to one"

Giving some dap to an article written by Hillary Buchan-Terrell for Samara about her experiences in politics, and why political parties matter.

Check out my new tumblr for all my political graphic design projects!

http://williamnorman88.tumblr.com/

Featuring graphic design projects done for the Charles Sousa leadership campaign, Anita Vandenbeld's campaign for Ottawa West-Nepean, various Young Liberal clubs, and more. I'll be updating it from time to time as well.

Youth support from across Ontario for Charles Sousa!

Like the Sousa campaign on Facebook!
Follow Charles on Twitter!

I remember when I first started volunteering for Charles Sousa back in 2007. Charles had just been nominated as the Liberal candidate for the fall general election, following the departure of Tim Peterson from the Liberal caucus. Charles was a first time candidate running in a riding which had never voted Liberal provincially before 2003 against an incumbent the PC's were treating as a star candidate. I've seen as Charles' campaign has grown from his kitchen table and the back of his van to a province wide effort, and that's why I'm so proud to stand with Young Liberals from across Ontario who Charles has inspired to get involved.

Below is the release on Charles' youth support. I encourage you to share it across Twitter and Facebook if you support Charles.

http://www.votesousa.ca/youth-support

In the week leading up to the Ontario Liberal Party’s Leadership Convention on January 25^th, Sousa’s campaign continues to build with Sousa’s message of real renewal which has been resonating with youth from across the province.

“I am very grateful to have the support of so many engaged young people”, said Sousa. “Their enthusiasm and commitment to our party and our province is vital and extremely encouraging. Without them, there is no real renewal.”

With the opposition raising the spectre of another provincial election so soon after the last one, Sousa’s ability to lead the party is top of mind for many Liberals.

“Charles is a man I can see as Premier of Ontario, and someone I can see standing up there, defending our record against Horwath and Hudak. I think he is the right choice for these times and I am proud to support him,” said Roy Sengupta, Member of the Ottawa Centre Provincial Liberal Association.

His focus on creating jobs and growing the economy is resonating strongly with many students and recent graduates.

“Charles is running to be Ontario’s “Jobs Premier” and his plan to create and save jobs will greatly benefit recent university and college graduates like me,” said Tyler Anderson, studying at York University.

“He had me at ‘Jobs’,” added Abdullah Sherif, a Young Liberal from Scarborough Centre.

For others, it’s his social conscience and work at the community level that convinced them that Sousa is the right candidate for Premier.

“Charles inspires me to be a better person and to continue to get involved within the community. His loyalty to the people and his dedication to make a difference is why I have chosen to support him,” said Jessica Cabral, a Young Liberal from Mississauga-Brampton South.

Warren Bradley Clarke, VP Federal of the UTM Liberals said “Charles is the answer. His devotion, kind heart and strength are what distinguish him from the rest. ”

All agree that his leadership style and open, honest and inclusive campaign were key in their decision to support Sousa.

“I’ve been deeply impressed with the ideas-oriented and forward-looking campaign Charles has run. As a lifelong Mississauga resident I know how hard Charles has worked to represent his community and know that the whole province will benefit from his enthusiasm and determination,” said Kevin Draper, VP of the Mississauga East-Cooksville Federal Liberal Association and Director of the Trinity-Spadina Provincial Liberal Association.

“Charles is a great listener and great leader. I have complete confidence in his abilities to put this province on the track to great success,” said Brian Santos, Past President of the Cambridge Young Liberals.

Many of today’s endorsements come from delegates to the Ontario Liberal Party’s upcoming leadership convention in Toronto on the weekend of the 25^th-27^th.

Sousa is running to be Ontario’s Jobs Premier and has proposed several concrete steps we can take to create jobs now. For more information about his plan or to contact his campaign, visit www.votesousa.ca.

Follow the Young Liberals of Canada ground team at the COP 18 UN Climate Change Conference!

http://ylcatcop18.wordpress.com/

I was a member of the first YLC team to go to a COP meeting, attending the COP 15 in Copenhagen. I'm very happy to see the YLC continue to be committed to sending delegates as part of the International Federation of Liberal Youth. Please check out the link to follow the YLC on the ground at COP 18.

And don't forget to like and follow the YLC International Working Group on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/YLC.JLC.International

Be a Young Liberal delegate to the next UN Climate Change Convention! Deadline to apply is tomorrow!

Click this link for more info

I had the opportunity to go to the COP-15 Conference in Copenhagen back in 2009, and it was a remarkable experience for me. Young Liberals have developed a proud history now of sending delegates as part of the International Federation of Liberal Youth, and I recommend any Young Liberal with an interest in the environment or international relations to consider being a delegate. Follow the link above to find out more info on how to apply, the deadline is tomorrow!

First post in a long time, some policy discussion!

I haven't posted in forever, so I decided to break out of the doldrums of summer by posting a policy I'm considering submitting for OYL Summer Fling on reforming Canadian Content regulations. Here it is:

Whereas - Canadian music deserves to be supported and funded for both economic and cultural reasons,

Whereas- Canadians are accessing more and more content online, bypassing the traditional models of Canadian Content regulation and promotion, [1]

Whereas- Many Canadian bands and performers have recently had more success from establishing popularity outside of Canada, or from online promotion,

Whereas- Canadians access Canadian Content on websites like Youtube at as high a rate as non-Canadian content, without any regulatory regime in place [2]

Whereas- Modern technology and the nature of cultural consumption by Canadian consumers has increasingly made an anachronism of Canadian content regulations for commercial music radio stations,

Be it resolved that - A Liberal government commits to updating the mandate of Industry Canada, the Ministry of Canadian Heritage and the CRTC to better reflect the nature of Canadian musical production and promotion in the 21st century by phasing out the requirements for commercial radio music stations to play 35% CanCon.

Be it further resolved that - A Liberal government commits to directly supporting Canadian artists and not a regulatory framework by committing to increasing the funding for programs like FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) and Starmaker which fund new Canadian artists.

Be it further resolved that - In recognition of the need for a funding model for giving greater direct support for programs that support Canadian artists, the federal government ensure that ISP's pay a fraction of their Canadian profits directly to these programs.

Be it further resolved: Nickelback sucks.

Citations:

For citation 1: Statistics Canada’s 2009 Canadian Internet Use Survey: 80% of adult Canadians used the internet for personal use https://www.lib.uwo.ca/blogs/education/2010/05/statistics-canadas-canadian-in.html

For citation 2: "Who needs Cancon?", Winnipeg Free Press, Jan 14, 2012: "YouTube reports that Canadian videos are being sought-out and viewed at a rate roughly on par with those originating in the U.S...Annually, in fact, [Youtube] calculate[s] that the site features more original Canadian content than has ever been broadcast during prime time on CBC (English and French) and CTV combined." http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/who-needs-cancon-137339598.html

 

Young Liberals take strong stand against Mulcair's pro-Harper, pro-prohibition stance on marijuana

Today Young Liberals across the country are taking part in a campaign taking on NDP leader Tom Mulcair for his pro-Harper position on marijuana prohibition. I'm proud to count myself as part of the Ottawa team, putting up posters, handing out information and buttons, and reaching out to the majority of Canadians who believe that continuing the war on marijuana would be a mistake.

The current state of marijuana laws in Canada are hitting taxpayers hard, and Stephen Harper's tough on wallets crime schemes will only make the situation worse. Hardworking Canadian policemen and policewomen should be working on stopping serious crimes, not be forced to arrest Canadians for possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. It is particularly disappointing to see the NDP and Tom Mulcair stand with Stephen Harper on the issue of marijuana, as those punished under the current laws are disproportionately youth, members of racialized communities,and those with limited income.

Liberals are taking a strong stand for common-sense drug crime policies, as legalization will hurt violent gangs by depriving them a significant source of income, and help policemen and policewomen keep more dangerous drugs off the street. I am happy to see the Young Liberals take the lead on this issue and push the senior party in the right direction, making clear, strong arguments for evidence-based policies.

Liberals want to treat Canadians like adults and take on Harper on his costly and ineffective prohibitionist policies. The NDP and Tom Mulcair want to capitulate and let Harper set the terms of discussion on drug laws and crime. A big part of rebuilding the Liberal Party is staking out bold new policies and advancing them to Canadians, and I'm glad I can play a part in that process today.

Renewal and activity in the commissions a great sign for Liberal rebuilding

Blogging has been light of late, although I've been keeping very active in Liberal events, obviously. In particular, in the last couple of weeks I've been to events involving the Young Liberals, the Aboriginal Peoples' Commission, and the Women's Commission here in Ottawa, and they all speak to the fact that our commissions are playing a crucial role in the renewal of the Liberal Party and the Liberal brand.

I attended a great Young Liberal organized event in Ottawa, the Ottawa Centre/Ottawa-Vanier Young Liberal Bonanza. It was great to hear from Mauril Belanger and Yasir Naqvi how important Young Liberals are to the Liberal Party, particularly Yasir Naqvi talking about how the single biggest commitment the Ontario Liberal Party made in the last election was the 30% off tuition grant, and how this idea came straight from Young Liberals. Another remarkable thing was to see so many new faces I hadn't met before, showing that youth are interested in playing a proactive role in politics and are attracted to the Liberal message.

International Womens' Day saw two events, a breakfast organized by the Women's Commission, and the launch event of Beyond the Numbers, a great idea put forward by the YLC and VP Maddie Webb in particular to increase the role of young women in the YLC and the Liberal Party as a whole. The breakfast was very well attended, with MP's and guest speakers from around the country coming in, such as new Commission president Mary Pyenburg. Bob Rae spoke passionately about the need for the Liberal Party to not only go after the Conservatives backwards approach on women's issues, but to always look at the Liberal Party itself and see what more we can do to advance women's rights and make our party even better. The Beyond the Numbers event had dozens of Young Liberals get together, including many from out of town, to network, talk about young women in the party, and be inspired by a touching speech from Kirsty Duncan about her journey into politics.

Last but not least, I helped support our Aboriginal Peoples' Commission by going to the "10-for-10" fundraiser, part of a campaign to create an endowment fund for aboriginal candidates ($10,000 for 10 candidates, as a starting goal) in the next election. Sen. Lillian Dyck, Bob Rae, Carolyn Bennett, and Jeff Copenace all talked about the role of the Liberal Party as promoting understanding between all the peoples of Canada, educating non-aboriginals about aboriginal history, and the important task of recruiting strong aboriginal candidates to run in both rural and urban ridings in the next election.

All in all, a series of great events that leave me inspired and optimistic about the role our party commissions can play in the party renewal process. Now to paint Toronto-Danforth red for Grant Gordon!

Empowering and engaging Young Liberals - Alexandra Mendes' plan for youth

Alexandra Mendes has a proven track record of Young Liberal engagement, including having her successful 2008 election campaign being managed by a Young Liberal! She knows the strength and abilities Young Liberals can show if given responsibility and empowerment. Read here about Mendes' plan for youth!

http://www.alexamendes.ca/en/blog/5-young-liberals-les-jeunes-liberaux

"Young people in politics, as in all other facets of civil society, offer us a daring, optimistic and creative energy that we must embrace if we want to truly reflect our communities.

No party, in fact, no organization can be truly vibrant and relevant without fully engaging these sources of power and renewal."

Dear Fellow Liberals,

As we approach the Biennial Convention, it is important to talk about the role of Young Liberals within the party, and the important role youth will play in renewing our party. It is sometimes said that “Youth are the leaders of tomorrow” – but I can speak from experience that youth are the leaders of today! I have a proven track record of successfully engaging and empowering Young Liberals. I know how important a role Young Liberals can play when they are given the respect and responsibility they deserve. An 18-year-old Young Liberal managed my campaign in 2008 and the efforts of Young Liberals played a crucial part in my victory in a very close race.

I have kept very good memories of my experience. I learned a lot and I won’t ever forget that you gave me my first opportunity.
Farah Chagnon, Campaign Manager, 2008 Election

At this biennial, youth will form a large percentage of the delegates, which is a great sign that young Canadians are engaged in the party and will participate wholeheartedly in the rebuilding process going forward. This is why empowering, listening to Young Liberal voices and ensuring they are heard is a cornerstone of my campaign.

Youth are worthy of distinction, not only because of the sheer size of their delegation, but because the general Liberal membership recognizes the overwhelming and urgent need to prioritize youth in order to rebuild and renew our party.

As President of the Liberal Party of Canada, my role will be to ensure that the Young Liberals of Canada Executive will have all the tools and resources required to be effective in their respective jobs – including communications tools, recruitment materials, a program for sharing best practices, fundraising support and encouragement for innovation.

I will work with the Caucus and party office to have regular town-hall meetings with youth and young liberals in different parts of the country, on post-secondary campuses and community centres, with an emphasis on un-held ridings and rural areas. I believe that our National Executive, MPs, Senators, and candidates of record should be on the front lines of engaging and listening to youth.

One of the keys to ensuring that Young Liberals have all the tools and resources they need entails thinking about the sustainability of the YLC, both financially and organisationally. Therefore, as President, part of my role would be to ensure that the LPC Executive Board does all it can to support a financially viable and efficient Young Liberals of Canada Commission. I believe that supporting the Young Liberals involves more than promises of increased budgets, rather it involves encouragement and support for self-sufficiency through YLC fundraising initiatives.
One best practice model that I have found is the Ontario Young Liberals FLY program that allows them to bring in additional sources of funding through a monthly donation system, independent of the LPC or OLP. This is certainly something that I as President, would like the National Executive to consider for YLC.

I will ensure that the YLC President, as a full-fledged member of the LPC National Executive, has an equal voice and opportunity to defend and support his ideas. This means that the President’s voice is heard, and that no other members of the executive seek to silence or ignore it.

The position of YLC National Director ought to be preserved to make sure the YLC has a voice and ally at the party’s organisational level.

I believe we need to form stronger relationships among our PTAs and the riding level associations, including those Young Liberals at the riding level. We could build on the model of the Council of Presidents and establish a Council of Young Liberal Leaders – with Young Liberal Riding Presidents or youth riding association representatives – to give them a direct voice and line to National Executive.

Youth need to feel engaged in all parts of our party, tapping into the energy, experience, and excitement they bring to the Liberal cause.

This means building on and celebrating the successes of YLC projects. As one example, the party ought to recognize the successful fundraising campaign for the 2011 YLC Climate Change Convention delegates. As President I would work with rest of National Executive and party to create a mechanism in which the party routinely taps into the energy and ideas of the Young Liberals across Canada such as event ideas, collaborations with other organisations, and support for Young Liberals to attend conferences. However, engaging youth, not only requires listening and support, but also seeking opportunities where the party can assist financially and organisationally with fundraising, while highlighting and encouraging these initiatives moving forward.

My entire platform is based on changing the culture of the Liberal Party to make it a member-driven and member-responsive party. We must harness the talent in this party to drive this party forward. When a Liberal—any Liberal—comes forward offering us innovative ideas and talent, we must harness this and help them to help develop our party. We need to harness the talent of young Liberals by allowing them to contribute to the areas that they are passionate about and in areas where they have talent.

It is my firm belief that young Liberals are best served by not being relegated to “Young Liberals Only” areas, but bringing them into all areas of this party. If a Young Liberal is talented in policy, messaging, etc. he or she should sit side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder with other Liberals at the table and contribute and have his or her contribution respected. At that table there will also be Liberals with many years of experience, wisdom and successes and this allows knowledge to be shared, and a whole new generation to be prepared to lead this party into the future.

I am feeling very optimist for the future of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Alexandra

* * * *

«Les jeunes dans la vie politique, comme dans toutes les autres facettes de la société civile, nous offrent une audace, une énergie optimiste et créative que nous devons adopter si nous voulons véritablement refléter nos communautés.

Aucun parti, aucune organisation ne peut être vraiment dynamique et pertinent, sans engager pleinement ces sources de pouvoir et de renouvellement. »

Chers collègues libéraux,

Alors que Congrès biennal approche à grand pas, il est important de parler du rôle des jeunes libéraux au sein du parti et du rôle crucial que les jeunes joueront dans le renouveau. On dit parfois que «les jeunes sont les leaders de demain » - mais je peux parler par expérience que les jeunes sont les leaders d'aujourd'hui! Dans mon expérience politique et communautaire, j’ai déjà démontré ma capacité à engager et à responsabiliser les jeunes libéraux. Je comprends très bien l'importance du rôle que les jeunes libéraux saisissent lorsqu’ils sont traités avec le respect et la responsabilité qu'ils méritent. Ma campagne en 2008 était gérée par une jeune libérale de 18 ans, et les efforts plusieurs autres jeunes libéraux ont contribué significativement à ma victoire dans une course très serrée.

« « Je garde de très bons souvenirs de mon expérience. J’ai appris beaucoup et n’oublierait pas que tu m’as donné ma première chance. ».
Farah Chagnon, directrice de campagne, 2008

Lors de cette biennale, les jeunes composent un pourcentage important des délégués, ce qui est un signe très encourageant que les jeunes Canadiens sont engagés dans le parti et participeront sans réserve au processus de reconstruction qui nous attend. C'est pourquoi la responsabilisation, l'écoute de jeunes voix libérales et l’assurance qu'ils sont entendus est une pierre angulaire de ma campagne.

Les jeunes méritent notre considération, non seulement en raison de la taille de leur délégation, mais parce que l'ensemble des Libéraux reconnaît la nécessité impérieuse et urgente de donner la priorité aux jeunes afin de reconstruire et renouveler notre Parti.

En tant que présidente du Parti libéral du Canada, mon rôle sera d'assurer que l’exécutif des Jeunes libéraux du Canada aura tous les outils et les ressources nécessaires pour être efficaces dans leurs postes respectifs - y compris les outils de communication, le matériel de recrutement, le partage de meilleures pratiques, le soutien au financement et l'encouragement à l'innovation.

Je veillerai à ce que le président des JLC, en tant que membre à part entière de l'exécutif national du PLC ait une voix égale et la possibilité de défendre et de soutenir ses idées autant que les autres membres. Cela signifie que la voix du président est entendue, et qu'aucun des autres membres de l’exécutif ne cherche à le taire ou à l'ignorer.

Les jeunes doivent se sentir engagés dans tous les domaines de gestion de notre parti, puisant dans l'énergie, l'expérience, et l'excitation qu'ils apportent à la cause libérale.

Ma plateforme est entièrement basée sur le changement de la culture du Parti libéral ; d'en faire une organisation dirigée et réflective de ses membres. Nous devons exploiter tous les talents de nos membres pour conduire ce parti vers le futur. Quand un libéral, quel que soit son groupe d’âge, se présente en nous offrant des idées novatrices et osées, nous lui devons la considération de ses idées et toute l’aide appropriée pour les concrétiser.

Nous avons besoin d’utiliser le talent des jeunes libéraux en leur permettant de contribuer aux domaines pour lesquels ils se passionnent et qui les interpellent. Je ne coirs vraiment pas que les jeunes libéraux doivent être relégués à la simple catégorie de «Jeunes libéraux», mais que dans toutes les sphères de notre Parti on puisse retrouver leur contribution et leur talent.

Si un jeune libéral est talentueux en matière de politique ou de marketing, par exemple, il ou elle devra participer à part entière à la discussion et ses contributions devront y être reconnues et validées. A cette table il y aura aussi des libéraux ayant de nombreuses années d'expérience, de la sagesse et d’histoires de succès ; cela permettra des connaissances qui se partagent et une toute nouvelle génération préparée à diriger ce parti dans l'avenir.

Je suis très optimiste pour le futur du Parti libéral du Canada !

Alexandra

Support sending Young Liberals to the COP-17 UN Climate Change Conference!

https://www.liberal.ca/ylc-durban/?typecode=300011936

I was lucky enough to be a part of the COP-15 YLC delegation, and I'm really pleased the party is doing a lot more to help promote fundraising for youth delegates. Please donate and help support the Young Liberals of Canada.

Young Liberals serve!

All this food was raised by Ottawa-area Young Liberals as part of the Trick or Eat campaign for the Ottawa Food Bank. Young Liberals from Carleton, U of O, Ottawa Centre, Ottawa-Vanier and beyond came out to help us, and a particular thanks goes out to Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre for joining us.

Liberals built this!

www.liberalsbuiltthis.ca

Had a great time this weekend taking part in the province wide Ontario Young Liberal blitz showing the great investments that the Ontario Liberal Party has made in families and communities across the province. Be it new schools, investing in our local health care systems, enhancing our libraries and communities centres, or improving transportation systems to get families and our economy moving, Liberals are on the right track in ensuring a strong Ontario.

Follow the Eastern Region Policy Parliament online!

I'm liveblogging right now from the Eastern Region Policy Parliament, we've got dozens of great Young Liberals, great special guests and great policies.

If you can't make it, you can still follow along online:

Like the Eastern Region Young Liberals on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/easternregionyoungliberals

And follow us on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/EasternOYL
The hashtag is #ERPP

Hope to see lots of online activity!

A great youth endorsement for Anita Vandenebeld

http://youthforanita.blogspot.com/2010/11/great-youth-endorsement-for-anita.html

With the campaign getting into crunch time, it's great to see a campaign that not only reaches out and engages youth, but has them play a real leadership role. Anita's campaign and her efforts to involve youth in the political process have Young Liberals all across Ottawa talking! Join us on Nov 28th and elect a champion for youth, Anita Vandenbeld!

Cop 15-My First Day

I got into Copenhagen this morning and got myself all registered as a delegate. Copenhagen is a wonderful city, but I have spent most of my time thus far at the Conference itself, and it is hard not to notice one thing in particular: Every time you turn around, China has some kind of presence. From having its own pavilion boasting of what China has either done or is planning on doing, to leading the group of 77 developing nations, it is impossible to ignore the voice of China at this conference. As both a developing nation and an economic giant, it is well positioned to emerge as a broker in any successful climate talks.More importantly, China’s rise in the discussion of green development, which could give China a massive comparative advantage as we transition into a lower-carbon emitting economy in the 21st century are not simply imagined. China has invested in green tech to demonstrate an advantage to some.

While some are pointing to the “Climategate” affair as an excuse to dismiss the conference, a few sentences which are taken totally out of context do not an affair make , (nor does releasing a sexy time later) China is surely cheering on the climate skeptics who are attempting to cause the greatest market failure since the Depression. The new economic industrial order will be a green one, and the skeptics bring nothing to the depate.

Martha Hall Findlay supports Young Liberal Copenhagen delegation

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/latest/rooftop-protest/#clip243624 (Jump to about the 7:20 mark)

Many thanks to Martha Hall Findlay for supporting the YLC Cop-15 delegation on national tv earlier today (although I am biased, I am dating one of the people she mentions by name). It is great to know that the senior party and MP's are supportive of our efforts to show the world that despite Harper winning the Fossil Award once again, Canadians, and in particular, Young Liberals, are standing up to show the world that Canada does care about the environment. Merci, Martha!

E-Mission.ca

I'm proud to be heading to Copenhagen for the Cop-15 UN Climate Change Conference with some great Young Liberals from across Canada this week. For those of you who can't come along, the team will be putting up video blogs, tweets, and other looks inside the real story of the talks, not the Tory talking points. You can check us out at http://e-mission.ca/