Point of view: I'm a first-time voter, and this is what I want

Growing up, I always looked up to my father.  I wanted to follow in his footsteps — whether it was my favourite hockey team or my favourite meal — I was always proud to say, "Yep, just like my dad."  

When I was in ninth grade, tension in my house flared up during the 2015 federal election. My parents had opposing political views.  

My dad watched as the Liberals took power from the Conservatives, and although I didn't quite understand why he was disappointed, I decided to be too.  

Over the course of Justin Trudeau's term as prime minister, I learned more about Canadian politics and gradually developed a position of my own.

I'm 18, and this election is the first time I have the right to vote. But it's hard to know everything that should be considered before voting Oct. 21. 

Climate change and a new economy

To me, voting is an important human right, and if done properly, has the potential to push society in positive directions.  Why not take advantage of that?

It's tough to come up with a personal, unique mix of political priorities though. 

What I'm interested in is climate change. 

I was at Montreal's climate march in September, and it was inspiring to see half a million people take over the streets with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.  

Experts say that global warming is a few decades away from being irreversible. For some voters, this may not be a big issue, but for me, it's do or die.

For this election, I'd like to see a majority party in power that has concrete goals to combat climate change — a firm plan to reduce our carbon emissions over the next four years. This has to be dealt with right now.  

I'd also like to see more support for young entrepreneurs. 

The economy has changed a lot in the past few years and young people have a hard time picturing themselves in the workforce.

More grants for small start-ups would give younger generations an opportunity to become entrepreneurs and make a difference — rather than default to the job market.  

Which party can deliver?

New voters aren't watching TV. We don't listen to radio. We just don't consume media like our parents.

A lot of information comes from social media.

I've found that the most effective way to stay up-to-date on campaign ads is to follow popular hashtags, like #CanadaVotes. 

Party-specific hashtags don't work as well since those are typically overrun with branded content. 

For instance, if I'm seeing facts on Instagram that I find interesting, I'll look at where the information is coming from, and do a web search to find out more about it — and if it's legitimate.

My school has also been a good way to find out more about the parties since local candidates will visit to talk about the issues.

More than caring about which party they choose, I'm really just hoping other new voters go to the polls this year. 

According to Elections Canada, the number of young voters increased by 18 per cent  between 2011 and 2015.

But, people 18 to 24 still had the lowest turnout of any age group. 

In 2019, I hope that changes.  

I think reaching the voting age means this generation of young people can really communicate the change they want to see, in a way that forces the rest of society to listen. 

I'm looking forward to where that brings us on Oct. 21.