A decade ago, when Justin Trudeau talked about climate change, reconciliation, feminism and smoking weed — many millennials were on board.
Today, youth advocates say broken promises, a lack of job opportunities and a housing crisis have created a wave of distrust, which will be difficult for any new federal leader to overcome.
“Right now, young people don't believe that Canada is a place where they can thrive and succeed,” said Stephen Mensah, executive director of the Toronto Youth Cabinet.
“Unfortunately, many young people have lost hope for the future.”
Trudeau's legacy around youth engagement is remarkable, Mensah said, with initiatives such as Prime Minister's Youth Council, Canada's First State of Youth Report and National School Food Program, He says it shows a commitment to the well-being of young Canadians.
Because Trudeau is younger than previous leaders, a strong online presence and commitments to electoral reform also contributed to his popularity in 2015, said Karim Bardesi, executive director of DICE, a public policy and leadership think tank at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“The attraction to Trudeau at the time was based on both political interest and cultural interest. The way he campaigned was meeting what young people needed,” Bardesi said. “I've definitely seen it in my students.”
In announcing his resignation as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau lamented the failure to push through ranked ballot electoral reform, citing a lack of consensus across party lines.
However, Mensa said times have changed.
“We've seen a significant shift in the preferences of young voters,” he said. “Today's youth are facing unprecedented economic challenges.”
A turning point in 2016 saw protests against Trudeau, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with the Liberals' lack of action on affordable education and employment for young Canadians. The latest available Statistics Canada data for April 2024 showed Canada's youth unemployment rate was 12.8 per cent, the highest since July 2016 – excluding the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and 2021.
Another important change happened during the pandemic, Bardesi said — a time when young people lost out on education, connections and experienced increased economic pressures.
“The policy responses that Trudeau made in 2015 were no longer what young people were looking for,” he said.
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Christine Erhiri is a first-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga who has been job hunting for weeks.
Marwah Azizi, a master's candidate at York University, says the prime minister's resignation presents an opportunity to demand greater accountability and representation from leadership, regardless of party.
“If 2015 taught us anything, it's that young voices have power in the form of results and policy reform,” she said.
“I want young people to keep that momentum going and push for leadership that reflects our realities and aspirations, and make sure we really voice the concerns that are happening in our communities.”
Looking ahead to the next election, advocates believe young voters will play an important role in determining Canada's next prime minister — but these same voters want to see more concrete policy solutions that resonate with them.
“I don't want to worry about whether I'll ever be able to afford a house or access mental health services, which is such a huge crisis right now,” Azizi said.
