Four years ago, the federal election didnât captivate Sakeena Mahmood much. She tends to lean left, and was sure the wave of excitement around Justin Trudeau would land him the prime ministerâs job, with or without her vote.âI was a bit younger too and didnât understand that every vote actually matters a lot,â the Barrie, Ont., resident, now 26, says. âI never thought that this is going to be something which is going to impact me so much.âBut then the Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shooting happened, and Mahmood was shaken. The suspectâs manifesto mentioned French far-right party leader Marine Le Pen and also praised U.S. President Donald Trump as a symbol for white identity. For Mahmood, that hit home the connection between politics and the hateful ideologies that can lead to violence. That realization is part of whatâs now motivating Mahmood, and other millennials who didnât vote last time, to vote in this yearâs federal election. For many, the rise of populism and a fear of divisive politics in the last few years is jarring them into taking the ballot more seriously this year. Bruce Anderson, chairman of Abacus Data, says issues around affordability, including housing and student debt, as well as climate change are top of mind for young voters this year. But alongside those two big concerns is the idea of politics becoming more polarized, particularly around diversity and equality, he says. While all that did come up in 2015, with the Conservativesâ proposed niqab ban at citizenship ceremonies and a âbarbaric cultural practicesâ hotline, Anderson says young people may be even more attuned to it this year.âI do believe that younger people experience more viscerally, probably because so many of them live in urban areas, this notion of âwe canât even contemplate being disinterested in diversity or being equivocal about diversity. Itâs just who we are, ...
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