Child care and pensions may seem worlds away for some youth, but it wont be long before “they'll have to starting worrying” about issues like this, Nicole Beaulieu said.

On International Youth Day, which took place Aug. 12, she led a campaign at the Laughing Buddha, encouraging young people to get involved in their community and to take note of what is happening politically.

“Right now, (youth involvement) is lacking,” she said. “We vote the least amount out of any other age group.”

Beaulieu, who works at the Public Service Alliance of Canada's regional office and attends Laurentian University, said she believes there is a “vicious cycle” contributing to why young people aren't inclined to vote.

“We don't vote because we think that our issues aren't important to the government, but because we're not voting, the issues aren't being brought to the government,” the 21-year-old said. “If we don't make our issues heard, they'll never be addressed.”

One of the issues that is particularly important Beaulieu is the cost of education.

“Ontario students face the highest tuition fees in Canada,” she said. The province covers about $10,000 of every full-time post-secondary student's tuition. Quebec is the next lowest-spending province, issuing closer to $13,000 per student. Alberta spends almost $25,500 per student.

“I want people to wonder why,” Beaulieu said. “I want them to realize this is too much, and this is forcing a lot of students to graduate in higher debt. As workplaces become more part time and precarious, it's more difficult for students to pay off those debts.”

During the evening, Beaulieu handed out information packages to guests who stopped by the Buddha, and encouraged them to get involved.

She said youth who want to get more involved and have a say in their future should keep up to date on the political scene, talk about it and get involved with local parties.

By engaging youth in politics, Beaulieu wants to have young people's voices heard.

For more information, visit psac-afpc.com.

- Posted by Jenny Jelen