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Housing, climate top concerns for Richmond youth in federal election

Canadians under 35 make up the largest voting bloc this election
young voters
From left to right: Vincent Chiu (file photo); Kelvin Chan (Valerie Leung photo); and David Piraquive (submitted photo).

Housing and climate change are among the top issues that Richmond youth are concerned about as the Oct. 21 federal election approaches, according to a series of Richmond News interviews.

It’s something that candidates around the country should pay attention to, as the youth vote, and youth voter turnout, are more important than ever this election.

For the first time in over 40 years, Canadians under the age of 35 will make up the largest voting bloc in a federal election, according to a report released earlier this month by the B.C. Federation of Students.

Throughout Canada, young people born between the early-1980s to 2000 — the millennial generation — make up the largest voting bloc this election (37 per cent of the electorate), according to the report.

Historically, young voters have failed to turn out to federal elections as much as their older counterparts, often falling below the national average. That changed in 2015, which saw 57 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds vote, an increase of about 15 per cent from the 2011 federal election.

While housing has been — and already is — a major talking point among politicians, the ability to afford a place to live, in the city they grew up in, is a primary concern among young Richmondites.

“I think for youth locally, there’s a feeling that maybe there’s an exodus; that people just have to leave, that it just isn’t possible, isn’t feasible, to live here in the future,” said Richmond’s Vincent Chiu, 22, who was one of the youngest federal candidates to run in the 2015 election.

“I think that Richmond is a beautiful place,” added Chiu. “We have wonderful dikes, we have a wonderful harbour in Steveston. Minoru is amazing. We have, I think, a really great place to live.

“But the question is whether or not it’s a place where everyone who grew up here can afford to live here anymore. And that’s been a concern that’s plaguing my mind.”

“I think for youth locally, there’s a feeling that maybe there’s an exodus; that people just have to leave, that it just isn’t possible, isn’t feasible, to live here in the future." - Vincent Chiu

For Kelvin Chan, a 19-year-old journalism student at Kwantlen who grew up in Richmond, housing affordability could make or break his goal of living on his own before he’s 30, given the high rents and cost of home ownership in the city — and throughout the Lower Mainland.

“I thought of affordable housing (as a main issue) because I want to live by myself, but housing prices are still so high recently and they’re not going down at all, from what I see,” said Chan, adding that right now he doesn’t see living on his own as much of a possibility.

Climate change is another major concern, according to Chiu, as well as the costs associated with safeguarding Richmond from the effects of climate change.

David Piraquive, 23, president of the Kwantlen Student Association and board member of the Alliance of B.C. Students (ABCS), said that young people “want the government to do something about climate change.”

“It’s getting to the point where it’s irreversible,” said Piraquive.

But these aren’t the only issues facing young people.

According Piraquive, many students are concerned about the high cost of post-secondary education.

“A lot of students are working multiple jobs so they can pay off their student debts,” said Piraquive, adding that it’s particularly bad for international students who have to pay much higher fees and can be seen as “cash cows” for educational institutions.

While it may not be an opinion shared by all of his peers, Chan is also concerned about the growing presence of marijuana in Richmond, and wants to see tighter controls on who can access cannabis.

“It would be better for the government to manage it better, like making sure that kids under 30 don’t get access to marijuana,” said Chan, adding that he would prefer that only those who need cannabis for medical reasons can access it.

And youth seem engaged with politics.  Piraquive noted that most of the youth he spoke to on Kwantlen’s Richmond campus were aware of issues, even if they weren’t knowledgeable about specific party platforms.

And while Chan often speaks with his friends about politics and pays attention during each election, this is the first time that he’ll be able to vote in a federal election.

“It’s a huge moment in my life that I’ve been waiting for,” said Chan. “I’ve always wanted to vote ever since I was little, so I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.

“I think that it’s (our) right to vote and it’s our chance to have a say in who’s going to be our prime minister.”

“I think that it’s (our) right to vote and it’s our chance to have a say in who’s going to be our prime minister.”      - Kelvin Chan

This will also be the first time that Elections Canada is opening 121 offices at 109 post-secondary institutions throughout Canada, including Kwantlen, in order reduce barriers to accessing the vote. Vote on Campus offices will be open for up to 12 hours a day.

The program ran a pilot in during the 2015 federal election. Over 70,000 people cast a vote through this system, which accounted for about nine per cent of the total targeted population.

Piraquive is also working to help educate and engage with students about voting, as part of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations’ — of which ABCS is a part — Get out the Vote campaign.

The campaign will also see candidates invited to Kwantlen and other post-secondary institutions to speak directly to young voters.

Piraquive thinks that the size of the young voters’ bloc will be important in the coming election.

“I think it’s going to have a huge impact. During the last election, one of the reasons why the Liberals won was the increased turnout from youth,” said Piraquive.

“I hope that this time around we’ll see a similar voter turnout. As someone who’s young, I don’t feel the government has paid too much attention to us.”