The 2021 Canadian federal election campaign is underway. While this is a time politicians will be making many promises to voters, I think part of the focus of this election should be on advancing progress on issues causing stress for young adults.
Cost of living is something I’ve found has been discussed at many debates in past elections, yet seems to see very little, in the way of, positive progress. Gas prices continue to increase across Ontario, making it harder for hard-working young adults to commute to work. Grocery prices are also much higher than they have been in past years.
It’s also becoming much more difficult for young families and single young adults to find rental or permanent housing in their price ranges, given the Canada-wide issues of increasing housing prices and a shortage of housing. Whatever party forms government must look at how they can bridge that gap and best work with the provinces and municipal governments to address these issues. Climate change also remains an issue impacting all people of all ages and is something a number of young adults are passionate and worried about. There needs to be an attainable, regularly updated strategy, to help the country reduce carbon emissions and start implementing more environmentally-friendly initiatives. This is about the future of your city, your town, and the planet we all live on. This is a topic which has been discussed, many times before by politicians; it’s time for action.
As this election was framed, by the Prime Minister earlier this month, as an opportunity for voters to decide how “we finish the fight against COVID-19”, one question young voters should still ask candidates is about economic recovery. Many businesses were hurt financially by the pandemic, leading to a number of jobs lost in many industries. This is a time to think about, what the job market will look like going forward, for young adults coming out of college and university, and how the Canadian government will, not only, get those jobs back but help create new opportunities as well.
No matter what party wins the election, and who becomes prime minister, the next government needs to make the issues on the minds of young adults a priority.