Federal election 2015: Young Islanders say debt load, debt relief are huge issue for youth
Mainstreet youth yak discussion featured 5 panellists from different backgrounds
The issue of student debt garnered strong reaction with a panel of young voters on P.E.I.'s Mainstreet on Wednesday afternoon.
"I'm going to be graduating with a mountain-load of debt, and I know there's a lot of students alongside of me," said Olivia Wood, a former NDP candidate.
- ANALYSIS: Federal election on P.E.I.: 3-way race in Egmont
- FULL COVERAGE | Canada Votes
- #PledgeToVote and challenge others to do the same
- POLLTRACKER | Your guide to the election
"You know, I grew up and I did the thing that I was supposed to do — I went to university like they told me to, I took out the student loan like they promised me I should, and then here I am graduating with no job prospects and all this money owed. And it's like, why did you push me to go to school in the first place if you weren't going to help me?"
Jesse Hitchcock, the co-founder of Young Voters of P.E.I., said the issue won't be solved until candidates recognize there's an issue.
"It's having that discussion, first and foremost," she said. "But I think the conversation hasn't really been had yet."
Brendan Curran, president of the P.E.I. Progressive Conservative Youth Association, called for greater cooperation between provincial and federal governments.
"The conversation needs to be had about student debt and it hasn't been until lately ... It's a problem that is crippling to a lot of people, including myself," he said
"One of the problems that I am seeing is that people whose parents make a touch more than, perhaps, the limit that is on the regulation — they can't receive a student loan to pay for their university."
Nouhad Mourad with the P.E.I. Green Party said education is a "huge issue" for youth.
"I think we're hitting it on the nail," she said.
"Right now, we're kind of in a Catch-22 -— increases in tuition keep rising and rising, and the quality of education keeps decreasing and decreasing as a result of cuts."
Sam MacPhail, president of the Young Liberals of P.E.I., touted his party's platform for job creation and debt relief.
Check out a recap of a live blog of the discussion below.