Kevin Royal - Canada's Next Great Prime Minister 2007

[shida787]

You did very well on the contest.

[breznikova]

Waterloo is way too in love with itself.

[JonathanSwifty]

Everyone is such an environmentalist sickening -.-

[majidbajid]

GET A WIRELESS MIC!

[iAengus]

I like the vision Kevin.

Green is obviously a very hot topic currently and you cover it very well, not just talking about how we have to because it is the right thing to do, but also how we should because of tangible benefits.

It is a good approach that is already being taken, but I have little doubt that you would expand and broaden that approach.

[musegirl6]

Kevin,

I support you 100% and have always thought you'd make a superb Prime Minister! Best of luck, I appriciate your head strong clear mindedness. Leaving no room for Canada to be lackadaisical about important issues, Great Job!

xoxo

comeau

[northernlightsmk]

Great ideas Kevin - you have my vote!

IHSV

-Mariusz.

[slayerblacktooth]

Great job Kevin... looking forward to seeing how this pans out. Bonne chance!

[stoobo25]

interesting platform kevin. best of luck to you!

in hoc

andrew

[KuruptCoolie87]

Kevin, all the best, you know I got your back and support you 100%. Good luck!

- Travis

[gauravjainwaterloo]

Kevin, excellent video and good luck with the competition! You discuss great points in the video and I have confidence that you'll be a great Prime Minister!

[BobsterWat]

Congratulations Kevin. I loved your video and I have no doubt in my mind that you should be Canada's Next Great Prime Minister!

I admire the passion and dedication you have in expressing your views. I feel very strongly about the importance of investing in R&D. If Canada wants to lead the world in economic growth and quality of life, it must invest heavily in those areas that you mentioned.

Well done, and I wish you best of luck!

-Bobby Naini

[EtobicokesFinest]

Leaving little doubt about your leadership potential, you did a superb job on the video KR. Good luck!

[klallani]

Way to go Kevin! I totally agree with your ideas. As former EngSoc pres, I know that UW students are creating technology for a greener tomorrow. I definitely agree that the government should invest in UW groups like the Solar Race Car or the Alternative Fuels team (UWAFT). Best of luck in the competition!

[sbbmorris]

I am impressed with the ambition and clarity of the ideas conveyed here. The vision of broadening our 'intelligence community' to a national scale is the kind of thinking that could have a very positive impact for Canadians. I would add that post-secondary investments should include a broader spectrum of studies than those specified, in order to foster the multi-faceted and interdisciplinary inquiry necessary to generate truly progressive solutions for an 'intelligent' Canada. Good luck, Kevin!

[mrpresutti]

hey kevin. some great ideas man. wary about tax breaks for corporations because they might take the money and invest in their own industry *outside* canada. most companies are international or american conglomerates and may not be interested in investing in canada. thats why i like your focus on canadian universities: grow our own talent. good luck man...i'll keep watching.

[teegz300]

Good Job Kevin!! Great plan to implement!

[mmmegs77]

Great job Kevin, you've got the plan and the capability to realize these ideas

[lamersa]

In high school there were always comments about you going this far. Good Luck.We need people to step out of their every day shells and develop new ideas for the drawn out ones we use today. I am mostly concerned with the environment though. I am a true believer that without the environment there is no need for anything else, like business or technologies. The earth is what we live off of and most people don't seem to get that. I hope you can bring that across to a lot of people. Thanks.

[juliebogle]

I'm very impressed with your thoughts Mr. Royal. UofWaterloo should be proud to have you as their leader.

[bplaurence]

Fantastic job Mr. Royal. You've done great things for the University of Waterloo so far and by the sounds of it; you're well on your way to improving the Nation as a whole. Best of luck in the competition!

[tjalane]

Well done, and well said. I couldn't agree more about research and technology investments.

Innovation drives us all.

[nitinkapila]

Great video! Good luck in the competition, you got my vote!

[FATTMATT14]

Kevin, I am very impressed by your vision and I would love to see it come to light. I am also a university student attending UOIT which is a school striving towards the same innovation sought in Waterloo. I have studied Quantum Mechanics, so I appreciate (and quite frankly am excited by) the impact potential of these fields for Canada.

[FATTMATT14]

Fourier Transforms are a tool used by Physicists studying Quantum Mechanics to solve energy systems and predict behaviour at the Quantum leve. CSIS has made huge advancements by using Fourier Transforms and other wave properties to keep our country safe but applying these fields in private sectors can make our country a world leader in countless other technologies.

[FATTMATT14]

However, I think you may agree that sometimes attending a technologically advanced institution and immersing our lives within the realm of technology allows us to embrace it with ease. I feel that Waterloo is a very modern city notorious for being a leader in technology through the welcoming of change, but do you anticipate that Canada as a whole will recognize or even believe the potential of such advancements and embrace a government driven technological revolution?

[FATTMATT14]

Best of Luck!

PS I've been following your 'campaign' and I am also very impressed with your video responses, good insight on all topics. You really demonstrate the need for well thought out change. Cheers!

[gifford500]

Nice work man.....  Good luck!

[UDubJax]

well said Mr. Royal aka...the next Prime Minister of the Canada!

[Meachan1221]

Good job buddy!

You'll do Canada and especially UW proud!

[AngieBeef]

It's very exciting that you're taking part in this contest Kevin. But even more exciting is your passion for improving Canada. I love your ideas on sustainability. I completely agree that we need to help change Canadians' outlook on sustainability.

Canada definitely needs to step up and take a leadership role on the global stage, and I think one of the first steps is having young passionate leaders pushing their ideas through. Way to go Kevin!

[grcampbe]

well done, sir!

[AngieBeef]

It's very exciting that you're part of this contest Kevin. But what's even more exciting is your passion for improving Canada. Your ideas on sustainability are excellent and innovative. I agree that we need to help change Canadians' outlook on sustainability so that everyone, consumers and the private and public sectors, can start making a positive difference in the way they live and operate organisations.

[laurie1494]

i'm with you kev!

well done.

well put.

oustanding.

[inaraa]

Awesome job Kev! You've got my vote!:)

[keeptoolkit]

GO KEVIN!!!!!

[karinagraf]

Great ideas, Kevin. I think that Waterloo is the perfect example of a community that has flourished recently through innovation via research and technology. It's exciting to imagine this high level of innovation on a much larger scale - across Canada!

[luxbux]

Great vision, great speech, you'll do our country proud.

[rahulrulezz]

I am with you Kevin. Very Informative and all the points you mentioned are excellent. u

[tr6706]

Hey Kevin,

Great video. It's time we start building a knowledge economy and stop relying on our natural resources. Your video suggests some positive ways of doing that. Best of luck!

[phatgsr98]

good video i agree

[sheikjohn]

nice going kevin ...

[calgarian101]

Kevin, what a fresh idea. Educate the youth so that they can be successful in their own life and strengthen Canada at the same time. It is about time that the Federal Government invest in Dreams.  Just imagine what that would do for our economy. This video was very impressive to watch and gave my family great dinner conversation. Good luck. Its easy to see you have a defined path in politics with the citizens at heart. Good job!

[aLach2]

Hi Kevin,

I agree with your idea that Canada should focus on building a knowledge economy. But to do so, shouldn't funding be directed at high schools and elementary schools? It's all good and well to increase funding to post-secondary institutions, but without having a curriculum in earlier years that focuses on technology and innovation, how are we supposed to encourage Canadian youth to pursue in this line?

[KevinRoyal2007]

I disagree. With respect to PSE, there's a front end and a back end role to be played in order to increase the access for underrepresented groups. The issue you raise specifically is one (among many) that needs policy, but at the provincial level. For an example, look into what's happening in Ontario with 'Early Outreach' education. Those programs are effective, but solving the front end issues with PSE should remain primarily with provincial governments.

Thanks for the discussion.

[KevinRoyal2007]

2. I feel the areas not mentioned specifically -- humanities, social sciences, applied health studies, etc., are also served effectively through Private-Public research partnerships and I'll address that. So I disagree strongly with your comment that this program will alienate voters since I'm proposing a stronger role (via targetted transfers) for the Federal Government in all PSE programs.

[KevinRoyal2007]

1. Precarious22 -- I'm working on a video response for your comments, but I'll answer a bit here...firstly, I stressed big investments in post-secondary education across the board. The focus on areas of research technology is there and will remain fundamental if we are to succeed as a knowledge economy. You ignore the fact that research isn't limited to any field of study, and that I specifically mention a field of study that is cutting edge in the Arts; transformational leadership.

[dimauw2006]

Kevin, very impressive speech, and very interesting ideas. I think these are the issues that our politicians should be talking about. One of the things that I thought about while watching you speak is the funds that the government will have to use to fund the research and innovation programs. Would there be enough financial resources available for them?

[jumpingjackson14]

KR -- you have great ideas, solid conviction and an obvious passion for this position. You presented ideas and then explained how to feasibly implement them which other candidates have failed to do. You have obviously given a lot of thought and put a lot of effort into finding solutions to make Canada an even better nation and would clearly be the intelligent choice to represent our generation politically. Also, good hand gestures. Very professional.

[legger251985]

Hey Kevin,

Great video with even better ideas! Living in the deep south you don't come by many people with such a vision as your lol. I wish you all the best buddy, and hopefully someone out there is listening who can help start this change in our great country.

[amandasmiles6]

Kevin, you have incredible ideas, and you've articulated them really well. You're an inspiration, and I wish you all the best success! :)

[lymorrow]

Kevin, I specifically like how you call attention to focusing on youth as leaders for today and our future. Thanks for the environmental concern as well. Count on my vote!

[MorganRubes]

Kevin;

You articulate and annunciate well. I think your views represent those of a great many Canadians as all great leaders should. Keep pushing on.

[ccsmith74]

You have strong, detailed ideas along with a plan on how to implicate them. All we need is someone with the true passion you have leading the ideas to make a real change.

[hafitzge]

I with you Kevin! I agree, Canada needs to dream big and following that, turn the dreams into reality. You've got my vote! Good luck!

Fitz

[mrcwizem]

Great video Kevin!

You're very engaging and passionate when you speak. With you as Canada's next great Prime Minister this great nation of ours is sure to boom and be an example for all others!

[neoRawkus]

You've got my vote Kevin! Best of luck with the competition!

[nataliewit]

stellar transformational leadership plug!

(almost as stellar as the back-up beeping in the background!)

[amstauch]

Hey Kevin,

Awesome ides. For those you don't know me, Kevin and I do a lot of work involving UW Senate. Kevin always bring 100% and he has great idea of where thing will go. I think his ideas for Canada are genesis

[realvek]

Hey K-Roy!

Big dreams come from big people at big schools. You have some great ideas and show great leadership. I supported your campaign for FedS presidency, and it's great to see that you are taking your ideas to greater initiatives.

[MylesH86]

hey Kevin this is a really great video that could really open a lot of people's eyes, especailly those who are not focusing on these issue. Your ideas make a lot of sense and i found myself agreeing to all of them but this initial funding from the federal government or the 'angel investor', how much are we talking here and will it interfere with social services or other areas of the budget that are important?

[jashch]

Kevin, this is an awesome video. I am very impressed and pleased with your ideas of the future. Good luck!

[nanodan123]

Great video Kevin. There are some great innovative ideas with regards to funds disbursal and greater government involvement in developing and emerging technologies. I would love to see these kinds of things implemented; It would be a hard thing to do but worth all the effort.

[abhayjetly]

You have some brilliant ideas Kevin. Nicely done. We need more people who can envision a greater Canada like you do. Great Job

[BrockH82]

Great talk Kevin, definitely some interesting ideas with strong potential for the future.

[pagealicia]

Kevin,

You have a great vision for Canada! It is so true that inovation in research and technology is the key right now for Canada to become a leader in the knowledge community. You are definatly on the right track to improving the views of the federal government for the benefit of Canada as a whole.

[GillySH]

Great work Kevin! I think you have a clear and awesome vision for Canada!!

[Samej99]

Kevin some very interesting thoughts on tax incentives, i truly enjoy the very innovative approach you are taking to the future direction of the country.

[scottalanmills]

Good work Kevin. Nice to see the youth pushing ideas.

Scott

[jmenon270]

Don't forget that Kevin talked about "transformational leadership." You don't get that just from the sciences, and Waterloo gets that. The Centre for International Governance Innovation, a leading governance think tank, and the new Balsillie School of International Affairs are examples.

Kevin's approach to innovation—I'm certain—only begins with science. It ends with Canadian leadership across all fields as befits the unparalleled diversity of our country.

[Meaganfinn]

Kevin,

I think your ideas have great value, but what about starting the education in high school? Students need a strong foundation and implementing your idea at an earlier age might assist in this transition. What about more focus of health science and social science. This sector of our economy also play a huge role in our future. I feel you are on the right track to improving the thoughs and veiws of the federal gov't.

[jmamone86]

Nicely said, Kevin!

It's important that we link these two subjects, rather than trying to achieve them individually... I think's it's only common sense, and that it will be the only way Canada can become a leader in the world.

[Caladai1]

I enjoy the idea, Kevin--but I'm also with Swissn--we really do need to put just as much focus into the Social Sciences, Applied Health Sciences, and Humanities.

[evh17]

Given the impending insecurities climate change will bring upon the world (we are currently dependent on the rest of the world to provide us with consumer goods and food), fostering a diverse, self-sustaining economy would make Canada safer than if it invested full-force into a knowledge based economy. Doing so would make us more vulnerable to the ecological instability we will experience. Although technology is part of the answer, in can't be treated as a panacea for all our ills.

[swissn]

I love the idea, but what about the arts Kevin. The government would do well to fund student fueled projects, research, and even non-governmental organizations in liberal arts related fields. Especially as Canada faces the need to redefine itself internationally and innovate solutions to global problems while engaging global partners in them

[swissn]

Arguably, with recent and significant investments by investors such as Bill Gates and Jim Basille in such initiatives, there exists both a demand and opportunity for the Canadian government to develop similar and equally productive relationships between business leaders and students of the Arts. It may be true that such relationships would not be as profitable as some new device or piece of software, but for many already very wealthy investors that is not all that concerns them.

[kgill724]

Well done Kevin. You bring up some very intriguing idea - specifically the idea of a "Canada fuelled by R&D" as well as becoming a "knowledge economy"...focusing on our youth. I agree that this is where the future of our country is heading.

Well done and best of luck. You're going to do great things, I'm sure of it.

[swissn]

They like many also have a desire to participate in and develop their societies at home and the world over. I know that you did not have forever or want to droll on continuously about every faculty, but I hope that you remember that some of the greatest innovations will come from your fellow students of the Arts.

[flexifoil25]

Mate, this is a fantastic idea and i really hope the government listens. Let us know if there is anything more we can do to keep the momentum going.

All the best

Phil

[dswiss]

Very well done Kevin. You ideas of innvoation in agriculture and health care are great. You have a vision which I believe will work. Canada will benefit from these concepts. Well done Sir.

[HunTerKillerz]

seems to be a very interesting vision.

[dubelucky]

Hey Kevin

You really are full of great ideas and no doubt the leadership qualities. My only concern is that although research and innovation are key, your vision seems geared more towards engeneering and the sciences. You have to keep in mind though that all these disciplines work hand-in-hand, and I get the feeling the humanities are being left out.

Great work though and I wish you all the best.

[jennavandraanen]

Hey Kevin,

Great video!! Innovative ideas, profoundly spoken. I agree entirely with the increases in post-secondary education and research and technology and I hope that this can be an inclusive change. I would love to see this as a nation-wide, cohesive initiative with access to education equally available to everyone so that all Canadians can contribute to this dream.

Best of luck. Hopefully when you become Prime Minister they'll give you a better camera man ;)

[1jax23]

Kevin! Great Job.

I agree with educating people about the environment. Good Luck! I hope you win!

[rootinfinity]

Kevin!

Amazing job. Good luck!

I personally hope the solar car project gets an increase in funding.....it's a wonderful (and much needed) idea....

Charlotte Dobo

[gregcartmell]

Good job Kevin

[npetten]

We need more forward thinking individuals in Canada such as yourself, Royal. Identifying the strengths that Canada can build upon is key to the future of our great nation.

Success!!

[bkwcheng]

Cool. Good luck with everything =)

"- A tax cut for Corporations based on their investment in research and technology"

There is already one; SRED tax credit.

[KevinRoyal2007]

Thanks for watching the video and commenting... I disagree with the direction of the SR & ED program, mostly because I don't feel it's working, citing the following statistics:

- Investment in R&D spending in Canada is down, especially among top companies.

- Canada is ranked outside the top 15 nations as far as R&D spending (as a fraction of GDP)

- We were ranked 14th out of 17th in an OECD country comparison, achieving a grade of 'D' on innovation

[KevinRoyal2007]

pt 2/2

Although there is an existing program encouraging research and development in the private sector, it's inefficient and unproductive. The move towards being a knowledge economy is happening all over the world, and Canada is yet to make the significant moves to make it a headquarters of intellectual capital.

I'll put a video response together explaining how the corporate tax plan I have makes significant improvements on the current tax structure in the next couple of days.

[LissaBear1102]

Kevin, You have so many great ideas. Imagine if you were the prime minister? Our country would be that much better! Good job!

[plorry]

If you win this, then the prophecy of our high-school yearbook "most-likely" section will be one step closer to fulfillment. Then it's only a matter of time before I'm Canada's Next Great Tom Hanks.

I like your thoughts, Kevin.

-Andrew S Gardner

[veronchiquita]

I have known Kevin since about 2004; he has always been a prominent student leader in the UW community and is distinguished by his charisma, leadership, diligence and determination. We're rooting for you buddy!