Getting engaged
Young Islanders encouraged to get politically involved in lead-up to municipal elections
Zac Murphy knows from experience that getting involved is the best way for young people to ensure their voice is represented.
That’s why the board member for Charlottetown Youth Matters was part of a special event hosted by his group and aimed at future young voters held at Bar 1911 Tuesday night.
“Anytime a young person gets involved in politics, whether it’s through the municipal or provincial level, I think it’s a great thing,” said Murphy, who noted it doesn’t necessarily mean running for office. “Even just getting involved with an advisory board or committee such as ours is a great way to do it. And just becoming more of an informed citizen so you’re more apt to vote.”
The message for the young people who listened to speeches, snacked on food and chatted with municipal politicians was that there has never been a better time for young Islanders to get engaged in P.E.I. politics – from running for office to simply becoming more aware of the issues.
Murphy said he feels P.E.I. is starting to see more youth engagement.
“I think it will probably reflect in the upcoming elections, I think we’ll start to see more young people out to vote.”
The event saw Elections P.E.I. give a presentation on its role as well as the process of running for office.
It also included Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee, Coun. Kevin Ramsay and CAO Peter Kelly explaining council’s role and how the municipality functions.
Board member Lydia Peters said one aspect that often surprises youth is the time commitment of being on council.
Peters said since joining the board a year ago, she has gotten a much better understanding of how the city functions and works with the provincial and federal levels.
“It’s good to know all those things in order to get a better understanding of our government,” she said. “(Then) people can better understand why things are done the way they are.”
Lee said all of society benefits by having young people engaged and that providing ways for them to be involved also helps retention rates.
He said the future of the city depends on the youth.
“I think young people need to identify what they want the future of their city to be. Public office is not for everybody, and I understand that, but there are other ways for the young people in our community to be engaged,” said Lee.
Coun. Kevin Ramsay, who chairs the board, said with municipal elections coming up soon it was a good time to provide a platform for youth.
“This is their city, along with ours, and the young people are our future. They’re going to be the leaders running this (city) in a few years,” said Ramsay. “The more info they can get for themselves, the more I think the city is going to be in great shape.”
More information on Charlottetown Youth Matters and its initiatives is available on the group’s Facebook page.