issues & id@as_ wrorxevinnaveson THE VOICE, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013 7 Liberals duke it out for support Leadership candidates vie for young voters’ attention with great hair ... and policy Celebrity may rouse the apathetic Justin Trudeau may have star power, but he needs substance to lure young to ballot box, expert says By SERA AKDOGAN is dad was famous and he’d make a great model for a sham- poo commercial, but some stu- dents say there is little more to Justin Trudeau’s popularity than his celebrity. “Most of my friends just think he’s hot,” said Langara arts and science stu- dent Brianna Hicks. Could Trudeau’s star quality lure young Canadians to the ballot box? It’s not an easy feat. According to Elections Canada, only about 39 per cent of Cana- dians between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in the last federal election. Still, it has worked before. Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s father, was so popular with youth in the 1968 federal election that the media dubbed it “Trudeaumania.” President Barack Obama has had a similar effect, rousing young Ameri- cans from their habitual apathy in the last two presidential elections, thanks to his ability to connect with youth. Trudeau could have an edge with young voters, who may identify with him more than older politicians, said Langara political science instructor Pe- ter Prontzos. Hamed Amiri, president of the Lan- gara Young Liberals and a supporter of Trudeau, agreed. He is “of a younger generation” than other MPs, and this “allows him to make a much deeper connection with his voters,” Amiri told the Voice via Facebook. Paul Prosperi, Langara political sci- ence coordinator, doesn’t think youth will vote for Trudeau for superficial reasons alone. “THis looks and popularity] may cre- ate more attention,” Prosperi said. “But I think that young people, especially young college students, are sophisti- cated enough to realize that there has to be something other than style.” Can- didates need substance, he said. Trudeau is more than just a pretty face, Amiri said. “TTrudeau] is very big on education and coming from a younger genera- tion, he fully understands the financial hardships placed on young Canadians to achieve an education,” Amiri said. 66 Most of my friends just think he’s hot” Brianna Hicks, Langara Arts and Science student Marc Garneau has best poll- cles for youth, supporters say Fans of former astronaut say Trudeau’s attention is undeserved; Trudeau fans say he’s solid on policy By JESSE ADAMSON ith the election of the Liber- al Party’s new leader ap- proaching, the candidates are vying for the support of the most politically sluggish demo- graphic: Canadian youth. The Voice asked Liberal supporters which candi- date has the best policies for the young. Justin Trudeau is the overwhelming favourite in Forum Research opinion polls, both among Liberal supporters and the general public. Langara Young Liberals president Hamed Amiri says most young Liberals hope Trudeau will become leader April 14. “What makes him so attractive to young people is that the issues he stresses are the is- sues that have the biggest impacts on i photo courtesy of JASON PAYNE, PACIFIC NEWSPAPER GROUP Justin Trudeau charms an admirer on the Canada line during his recent visit for the leadership debate in Richmond. Langara students unsure of party's identity piberal over the years Hin 1965, Lester Pearson adopts Canada's new flag HM 1968-69, Pierre Trudeau iberalizes Canada's abortion laws WM 1971, Trudeau adopts the Multi- culturalism Act M2005, Paul Martin introduces same- sex marriage law With the party’s values in question, the Grits must decide whether to lean right or left, instructor By NIALL SHANNON n the wake of its recent problems, the Liberal Party of Canada will need to focus on redefining its iden- tity and projecting a clearer mes- sage about its principles. After falling to third party status in the May 2011 federal election, and with the top leadership currently in contest, the Liberal Party of Canada is at a crossroads. The party is going through a difficult period and trying to be relevant again, according to Peter Prontzos, a Langara political science instructor. Liberal leadership candidate Debo- rah Coyne said in the Battleford News- Optimist that “The Liberal party right now in people’s minds doesn’t stand for anything distinctive.” This is reflected in several Langara students’ thoughts on the party. Sarah, a Peace and Conflict stu- dent who did not want her last name printed, said, “It'd be good if they could put forward a clear message of what they’re stand- ing for,” while Ki- ana Heighton, a PETER PRONTZOS Langara Political Science instruc- tor first year environmental science stu- dent said, “I would have to know what the party’s message is to know what it stands for.” According to the “What we stand for” page on the party’s website, the Liberal party defines itself as standing for equality, fiscal responsibility and for a clean environment. Shaun Govendor, the executive di- rector of the Liberal party in B.C., said the Liberal party is not re-defining it- self, adding that the Liberal party poli- cy is based more on evidence than ide- ology. The party focusing on sound eco- nomic management and socially re- sponsible government, he added. However, Prontzos said, “It’s a little bit disingenuous for anybody to say ‘my party has no ideology, we’re prag- matic and realistic’, every party has an ideology.” The Liberal Party, which has long been the party of the centre, will now have to decide whether to target “soft” NDP or “soft” Conservative voters, the lives of young }AMED AMIRI Canadians,” he president, told The Voice via Langara Young Facebook. Liberals “He’s very big on education,” Amiri added in an interview. “Today, in Cana- da, that’s a huge issue. The debt that’s growing from student loans is just enormous. One policy he has of extend- ing the period people have for paying back loans is a great idea.” But young-liberal supporters of run- ner-up Mare Garneau say their favou- rite has more solid policy proposals, and Trudeau has stolen the spotlight. “Garneau would probably be the fa- vourite any other year,” said Nadine Brent, 24, a Liberal supporter who works in Vancouver. “But with Trudeau in the mix his voice is barely heard. He’s recently come out and said some things which are favourable to young people, but is anybody listening at this point?” While Trudeau’s official website contains little dis- cussion about poli- cy, Garneau’s web- page has a whole section devoted to it, with proposals ranging from dem- ocratic reform to a strategy for the economy. MARC GARNEAU Liberal leader- ship contender Noting that Ca- nadian youth carry more debt than their parents and have fewer career prospects, Garneau pro- poses to open the economy to more competition in telecommunications and to encourage entrepreneurs and start ups. He also wants to encourage businesses to hire young Canadians by creating incentives, such as the elimi- nation of payroll taxes levied on em- ployers when they hire young people. Once young people are hired, Garneau wants to encourage employers to in- vest in work skills training, so young Canadians build up career experience.