With Manitobans less than 24 hours removed from provincial polls, the focus now shifts to Canada’s 43rd general election less than six weeks from now.
UMSU has already teamed-up with student unions across the country to ensure that post-secondary student priorities are heard by all political parties. With over 2.5 million post-secondary students eligible to vote, and voters aged 18 to 38 representing the single largest voting bloc in Canada – more than 37% of the electorate – post-secondary students have never been this well-positioned to make an impact in choosing our national leadership.
On September 3, in conjunction with the Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities (UCRU) – a collective of student unions of which UMSU is a leading member and UMSU President Jakob Sanderson is vice-chair – UMSU joined 46 other student unions, representing some 900,000 students, in releasing a national letter pushing party leaders to tell students what their vision is for post-secondary education in Canada, and calling for action on three key priorities for students across the country:
- Eliminate interest on federal student loans and increase federal grants for post-secondary students;
- Create sustainable, high-quality jobs and work-integrated learning opportunities for post-secondary students;
- Support Indigenous Students and the calls of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
In addition to those three priorities, of special note is the unprecedented level of attention that climate change is sure to receive this election. The need to take national action to address climate change has never been more urgent, and for the first time ever it features among the top three issues for voters overall, alongside traditional concerns of health care and cost of living. As such, UMSU has brought together the University of Manitoba and the U of M Graduate Students’ Association to host one of the 100 Debates on the Environment that are happening across Canada on October 3. Our event will take place in IQ’s Café and Billiards on the third floor of UMSU University Centre, from 2:00-4:00pm.
UMSU has also been working with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) on its Get Out the Vote campaign intended to increase student voter turnout in the upcoming federal election. To take the voter pledge, click here.
Throughout the election campaign period, UMSU will continue to inform our members about not only when and where to cast your ballot, but each party’s policy priorities and announcements, via e-Newsletters, social media posts and in-depth articles posted on our website.
Plenty more to come!
For media information, please contact:
Jakob Sanderson, President – University of Manitoba Students’ Union
Phone: 204-474-6519
Email: pres@umsu.ca
