The next generation of voters
First time voters weigh in on pivotal issues like sovereignty and proposed Charter of Values
Shawn Gambino was born in 1995, the year of the last referendum. This is the first provincial election he can vote in. We ask him and other West Island CEGEP students what their concerns are.
Also, go to westislandgazette.com to view video interviews.
The babies born around the time of the October 1995 referendum are poised to vote in their first provincial election and there is no shortage of talking points to consider as these young voters head to the polls.
The prospect of another referendum on sovereignty has been raised.
The proposed Charter of Values prohibiting the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in the public-sector workplace continues to trigger heated debate on the campaign trail.
How will they vote, and do they trust their candidates? Do they think politicians listen to their concerns?
The West Island Gazette spoke with five students who attend West Island CEGEPs.
Houston Rifai, 18, is studying Social Sciences at John Abbott College and is a member of the college’s Model United Nations.
Rifai will vote in the April 7 provincial election, but with reservations.
“It’s my civic duty to vote, even if I don’t have much of a choice as to how I can vote,” he said. “There is one political issue which dominates how people vote in Quebec: Are you voting for separatism or to stay in Canada? I want Quebec to stay in Canada.
“I haven’t met an English-speaking person who isn’t going to vote that way. Perhaps they are out there, but I haven’t met them.”
On the subject of the proposed charter, Rifai minced no words, calling it “xenophobic.” He said he would like to see the current government “fail in a major way.”
Rifai said politicians listen to young voters’ concerns when it suits them, to garner votes and used the Parti Québécois’ backing of the student protests in 2012 as an example and said students learned a valuable lesson when promises were broken, postelection.
Emma Sutherland, 18, is the editor-in-chief at John Abbott College’s student newspaper Bander- snatch. She’s keen to cast her first vote.
“It’s exciting to play a role in the democratic process,” Sutherland said. “Voter apathy is counter-productive.”
Sutherland approaches the ballot with a measure of cynicism, saying, “It’s a case of choosing the lesser of all evils. I think a lot of young people don’t feel the political system fits their needs.”
Sutherland went to a French elementary school and remembers learning about the two referendums on sovereignty when she was in Grade 6.
Learning about the referendums in a classroom and actually experiencing the emotion and tension of a sovereignty vote are two different things, and Sutherland thinks not experiencing one firsthand may have contributed to her generation’s lukewarm interest in politics.
She wants Quebec to stay in Canada, and she would like Quebec to better reflect the “broad multicultural views” of her generation.
“I have two francophone roommates, and we don’t talk a lot about politics,” Sutherland said. “I really don’t think a lot of our generation would vote for (the Parti Québecois).”
Shawn Gambino is 19 and the coeditor-in-chief of CEGEP Gérald-Godin’s student newspaper Noir sur Blanc.
He’s keen about voting in his first provincial election, is in favour of an independent Quebec but is no fan of the Parti Québécois.
Gambino wants a Quebec that embraces diversity and treats minorities with respect and described the proposed charter as “disgusting.”
He’s disillusioned with the “same old ways” the three most powerful political parties — Liberal, Parti Québécois and Coalition Avenir Québec — do business and turns to the smaller parties for inspiration. He will probably vote Québec solidaire.
“They have new ideas,” Gambino said.
Yasmine Mosimann, 18, is a former Bandersnatch news editor and a member of the John Abbott’s Model United Nations. She attends John Abbott College part time and is looking forward to voting for the first time.
“As an anglophone, I don’t share the values of the Parti Québécois, but I realize I am in the minority,” Mosimann said. “Quebec has a rich history and culture and it should be protected, but I enjoy a Quebec that, in practice, is bilingual and that respects its diverse communities.”
Mosimann believes in the democratic system even when it falters.
“You keep trying until things work,” Mosimann said. “You need a little blind trust.”
Denis Kroupnik, an 18-year-old, fluently bilingual John Abbott student is set to cast his inaugural vote.
“Voting is a sign you are maturing and have opinions that matter,” Kroupnik said.
He said it is always important to vote, but the importance skyrockets when parties are running neck and neck, as are the Parti Québécois and the Liberals in this campaign.
Weary with the bickering between the French and English, Kroupnik would like to see a political climate that encourages harmonious coexistence.
Trusting politicians in these days of corruption commissions and broken election promises is a struggle, no matter your age.
“With everything happening today, it’s no surprise we doubt a little,” Kroupnik said. “But do we have a choice? We have to vote for someone.”