You could call it a warm-up for the upcoming debates in the election campaign.
Four party leaders shared the stage at Concordia University Saturday night to discuss youth issues and connect with the province’s political players.
“Young people stayed home in several of the past elections, if you look at the participation rates of the 18 to 35-year-olds,” said political analyst and former NDP leader Tom Mulcair. “So it’s great. It gives them firsthand contact with the most senior politicians.”
This fall, young people in the 18-35 age bracket will make up approximately a third of Quebec’s voters come October 1st.
The goal of the event – organized by the Institut du Nouveau Monde – was to focus on dialogue and get away from the confrontational style of a traditional debate.
It also provided leaders a chance to answer questions from young people about what they perceive to be key issues.
“If you think the environment is the primary challenge of the time, then you don’t want to have a petroleum-dominated country like Canada representing your ecologist views,” said Parti Quebecois leader Jean-Francois Lisee.
The sovereignty question that once dominated Quebec politics is now longer taking center stage.
“Young people have move away from the old fights about sovereignty,” Mulcair said. “They’re worried about the planet, they’re worried about the environment – they themselves are very diverse and inclusive.”
CAQ leader Francois Legault was booed by some in the crowd for his position on immigration, and his party’s plans to impose values and language tests on newcomers.
“I think that it’s normal that we want to protect French,” Legault told the audience. “We will offer them free lessons and we will give them there years to succeed. So I think it’s fair, it’s reasonable.”
“I don’t see why people would fail a French test after three years – it would be a basic French test,” he added.
But Premier Philippe Couillard was quick to speak up about his party’s stance on Legault’s platform.
“Obviously it’s a very important proposal for him. Of course we don’t agree at all – immigration should be looked at positively, not as a threat,” Couillard said.
Outside the venue was a protest held by members of the Green party.
“Despite the fact that this event is supposed to be a conversation about youth issues, the Green Party of Quebec has been excluded, and we find this extremely hypocritical,” party leader Alex Tyrell said. “[In] the Green Party, ¾ of our candidates are under 35 years old. Myself, I’m 30 years old – I’ve been leader of the party for five years.”
Manon Masse says Quebec Solidaire is committed to electoral reform, and under-proportional representation, the Green Party would have won a seat in the last election.
