Canada's Next Great Prime Minister- Meg Wilcox

[WebAnt]

You are awesome.Great video. Humor and intelligence mixed together. Does not get much better than that. Take care.:-)

[tim0theos]

Hey sorry about your luck. It would've made for a better show with you on it. Better luck next year.

Sincerely,

Timothy Favelle

[pinkrapid]

Great video! Witty without sacrificing its integrity. Nicely done. (:

[lemondefoudesophie]

Wow, Meg, I'm impressed! You clearly really do have what it takes to be Canada's next Prime Minister! I'll support you all the way!

[skootfairy]

meg, has some awesome skills! i want her as Canada's Next Prime Minister.

[Capitalme79]

It's about time that Canada faces our current crisis of voter apathy and political disengagement. The statistics on voter turnout and knowledge of the Canadian political system are shocking and troubling. Something needs to be done about the issue and you present an interesting approach to it.

It's also nice to see a contestant in this contest with a sense of humour.

[Tiffa1122]

Hahahahahaha!!!

[themaskedpatriot]

and to set up this national travel agency and school for the nationally-underempowered, all we have to do is raise taxes or stop paying government wages!

maskedpatriot(dot)wordpress(do­t)com

[meghrocks]

Don't worry, MaskedPatriot, if I were to ever attempt to create a national travel agency/ school for the politically-underempowered, I would never dream of raising taxes or, heaven forbid, lower government wages. As for funding and support to national exchange programs, I've detailed in my brownie video more of the specifics in terms of money (aka how it would not cost as much as many would think...)

Cheers, M.

[jonathanobrun]

good idea. but i would be wary of heading too much down the nationalist path where we teach kids, if not explicitly, that canada is the greatest thing, ever. It is not, it is a country. making our you too Canada focused could potentially lead to the situation we see south of our border where americans do not appreciate the intricacies of an ever increasing global community.

good luck.

[meghrocks]

Hey Jonathan- I agree that, as with anything, balance is important. That said, without a solid knowledge base, it's pretty hard for our youth to gain any perspective, nationally or internationally. It's not about teaching that Canada is the best, it's about sharing all sides of Canada. And while the country certainly isn't perfect, I think that Canadians who know more are more likely to not only care about Canada but also work toward its betterment.

Cheers and good luck in the competition! M.

[HillaryVipond]

What about the environmental catastrophe on our doorstep? Surely our next great leader will be at least somewhat preoccupied with the major crisis of the day.

[meghrocks]

Thanks for your comment, Hillary- it's true, the environment is important. However, this contest asks us to provide -one- major way to improve our country, and I feel that youth involvement is something important to bring to the discussion. There are competitors with some solid environmental platforms, as I'm sure you've seen, but if this contest was focused solely on the environment, that would seem pretty parochial in terms of our country's many facets.

Cheers, M.

[Katsinhats]

Very well done - the satire is funny and the points are salient.

[Anterockstar]

Hey:

I am totally on board baby... you rock!!!

Anterockstar

[ahcoldpizza]

Hey Meg,

You said that allowing citizens at 16 would allow them to "benefit from the education and support that is there [in the school system]."

1.) Elections usually only happen every 4 years. So wouldn't this not benefit some people in that regard at all?

2.) I fear that some teachers might end up pushing their political views onto their students, instead of allowing them to make their own independent choices. Thoughts?

[meghrocks]

Hey coldpizza,

1. True (although looking at the current political situation, some students might be voting twice before they leave high school! ;) ) That said, addressing these topics in schools will benefit the students regardless of whether an election is held before they graduate or not (although all the better if they get to!)

2. I've addressed this question in a few of my video replies- the first one in my reply to Conservative1DerDog- as well as text comments on this thread

Cheers, M.

[ahcoldpizza]

1.) What exactly are you proposing right now in addition to the regular curriculum? Because, when I was in high school (in Alberta), we DID cover how the government and politics work in Social class. What do you feel is missing from the curriculum right now? I'm afraid I don't really understand what more there is to add to the curriculum.

[meghrocks]

Hey cold pizza,

1. Currently, Alberta is only one of 4 provinces that has a required Civics class (though I'm not 100% positive about the Can. history requirement), so you're one of the few who definitely had that covered in school!

For the programs that already exist, I think that curriculum restructuring could help make the courses more effective and applicable for students.

[ahcoldpizza]

2. I think your reply to Dog is very optimistic, but unrealistic. In my own experience, there was a bias. I had teachers that openly laughed at so-and-so's political statements or stance in class. In front of their students. While teaching.

So, while enlightening the general public on the process is a good idea, I think that perhaps schools aren't the best place to do it. Perhaps a non-partisan organization could be formed and offer internet tutorials or something like that?

[meghrocks]

(1/2)

2. Yes, the education system isn't perfect, and there will always be some element of bias. That doesn't mean my plan is bad or that school isn't the place to teach these things. First, not all teachers are as biased as your example. But, even in your case, the fact that at the age of 16 you could tell your teacher's bias shows you were already capable of thinking critically in the classroom setting. Second, did your teacher's bias end up influencing your politics? It sounds like it didn't.

[meghrocks]

(2/2)

Non-partisan resources are fantastic, and there are tons out there. Have you heard of Student Vote? Historica? Apathy is Boring? Because most people haven't- they don't always seek out the information. That's why using the school system, which almost every Canadian student attends, is the most effective way to teach this. These non-partisan resources make a great supplement to classroom teaching (where, may I also remind you, the curriculum is non-partisan as well).

Cheers, M.

[ahcoldpizza]

Unfortunately, the diploma exams and the curriculum in Alberta are written by teachers hired by the school board.

Two of my social teachers (both of them very biased) were employed in such a capacity. Therefore, I would find it hard to buy into the assumption that the curriculum wasn't biased, either.

Perhaps this explains why I am so against having this instituted in the school system. There simply has to be a better way.

[ahcoldpizza]

I may have been able to see the bias and take it with a grain of salt but I hardly speak for my fellow students.

I'm pretty certain the MAJORITY of them took the teacher's word for face value, unfortunately. And might I add, even in a Catholic school, all my Social (Civics) teacher's had a liberal bias.

[krystoferson]

I find it interesting that we all talk about this issue as if there were a non-biased way of approaching anything. There isn't. The way we learn history is biased; the way we interpret media is biased; even the way our teachers talked about Shakespeare is biased.

Everything is shaped by our subjective perceptions, so why should we treat politics differently from any of these other subjects?

[krystoferson]

Perhaps to address more directly what you're saying, there should be a focus on HIGHLIGHTING our biases before delving into the material. That way it would be something more of a forum for ideas than a top-down This Is What You Should Think environment.

[ahcoldpizza]

Thank you.

Yes, I think this would be an excellent way of going about it, and an interesting thing to add to the idea. They teach those in journalism school to recognize and eliminate bias, but where else really? If we really want to raise a generation of critical thinkers, and active citizens I think this would be an important thing highlight.

[meghrocks]

(1/2)

Very true, krystoferson. Interestingly enough, that was how my high school History teacher approached his class- we had three different texts (one American, one British, one Canadian) and would read each author's take on a particular historical event, then compare and contrast. It was a fantastic way to gain perspective on what we were learning.

[meghrocks]

(2/2)

There has been quite a bit of research in the last while about how we can improve teaching these subjects (i.e. the Benchmarks of Historical Thinking project) and I think that reevaluating provincial curricula would allow for these types of positive changes to be made.

[oeidei]

Way to go Mali!!!

[jonathaneder]

Lol voting age at 16? Are you kidding me? Is this a joke? That is just what we need to show that less the 50% of people vote. That is maybe an extra million voters the terrible NDP and Liberal parties can tap into.

Good try, very hard to take your idea's seriously.

[meghrocks]

Hey jonathaneder,

I've already detailed answers to your comments in many of my video replies (you can find them above if you're so inclined). You're right about the million or so extra voters, but I daresay any party (terrible or not) could "tap into" them were they to choose to orient their platform towards the younger voting public.

Cheers, M.

[ThenextBatista]

Is this a joke?

Im not being sarcastic its just with you thowing the baby and all the other stuff.

[meghrocks]

ThenextBatista,

Nope, my video is serious... well, for the most part. The beginning shots are mildly sarcastic takes on the typical things politicians do- kissing babies, shaking hands, cutting ribbons...

My take on politics- and also this contest- is that discussing politics doesn't have to be dry and conventional. Sure, I may toss a baby or two, but I think that my platform would stand in a more serious debate... and in this case I've hopefully entertained you somewhat as I make my points :)

[ThenextBatista]

Ok,

Thanks for letting me know. Sorry if i was rude in any way.

ThenextBatista,

P.S  Good luck, hope to see you comete on the show!

[russroberts]

Good ideas. I bet you've been on an exchange.

[skootfairy]

i'm very excited!

[pandy627]

good video

[RUSTYBOYROBOT2]

The lowering of the voting age might not be enough, but when coupled with civic's classes for canadian youth, this should instill a greater sense of civic duty which will hopefully translate into more young Canadians participating come election time.

[MorelT]

An interesting idea but it seems like 3 ideas instead of 1. Few Concerns. 1) Why not have mandatory environmental studies courses throughout secondary school, seems more important. 2) How many students would actually benifit from increased funding to exchange programs, compared to funding social programs in low-income areas. 3)The lowering of voting age from 18-16 is fine with me, however im not to confident that it will lead to significant increase in voter turnout.

[meghrocks]

(1/2)

Hey, thanks for your questions!

First, as I've mentioned in my "Brownie Response" video, these three courses of action work together to help improve youth civic engagement in our country. So yes, three things, but one main idea.

2- I'm not opposed to environmental courses at school, but it wouldn't do much to address the problem I'm tackling in my platform.

C) Many agencies (like Exchanges Canada, the primary source of govt funding for exchanges)

[meghrocks]

(2/2)

set priority targets for funding who might not be able to participate otherwise. It's from the diversity of their participants that these programs derive their strength, so this is always considered (also detailed in my "Brownie Response"). And certainly, these exchanges benefit anyone, regardless of their background or income.

This isn't to say that these programs should take the place of social programs across the country- they're two completely different kettles of fish.

[echogurl80]

Our youth need to understand the delicate nature of racial and cultural differences and appreciate the fact that things that we THINK are ok to say may be extremely insulting to other people (for example... comments made by u and Allison on facebook were quite insensitve).

[echogurl80]

Meg, don't you think creating a program that encourages our youth to visit local reserves, local homeless shelters and local rehabilitation programs would be more benificial?? Also..... perhaps creating an internship program between english speaking schools and schools that teach other languages?

[meghrocks]

I think that all of your suggestions are good ones, echogurl80, and many exchange programs already put a focus on learning about different regions, cultures, languages and ways of life. For example, Katimavik participants travel to rural areas of the country, reserves included, and volunteer in these communities. By experiencing different parts of our country, our youth can better understand it.

[echogurl80]

EXPERIENCE: One of the major problems that this country faces is that the Canadian majority doesn't understand and is sometimes insensitive to the issues the Canadian minority face... the issues?... racism, poverity, and violence.....

[RUSTYBOYROBOT2]

Hey Meg, Please carry on with your splendid campaign. I've been monitoring this debate pretty closely, and I can honestly say that I've not seen anyone argue their point of view with more enthusiasm, wit and flair for new media style politics. Young people need to know that no one will give a shit about their issues unless they get of their asses and get involved in the process.  Kudos to you!!!

[mtlkay]

The contest you are entering is designed to challenge Canadians to consider the pressing problems facing us and how to deal with them in original and creative ways yet the ideas you present are petty and unoriginal.

Your first idea relates to education. Despite wanting to be Prime Minister, you don't seem to understand the difference between provincial and federal jurisdiction. (Hint: Education is a provincial one. Hint: the position of Prime Minister is rooted in the federal system...)

[meghrocks]

Mtlkay,

Thanks for your comments; I'm glad that you agree with lowering the voting age. Now, to answer your questions:

[meghrocks]

1- I've addressed the provincial-federal jurisdiction point several times, in text and video responses (in short: the federal govt already supports areas of provincial jurisdiction- i.e. health care. The fed govt's strength is in being able to bring provinces to the table- that's what my plan advocates. The fed govt wouldn't legislate provinces to adopt this, but rather provide financial incentives for curriculum change, so this isn't even a question of jurisdiction).

[meghrocks]

2- I would challenge that this contest is about "draw[ing] national attention to those issues of overwhelming importance". It's about "your ONE big idea" that would improve Canada- it's about identifying solutions, not problems. And, seeing as I'm limited to a 5 minute video, you'll have to excuse me for not addressing your laundry list of problems (although you are right, I do have opinions and ideas on all of the topics you listed).

[meghrocks]

3- While I see the legitimacy of your points, I think that you underestimate the importance of my platform. Sure, youth civic engagement and empowerment (which leads to the population's civic knowledge and engagement) is not as sexy a topic as transnational terrorism or global warming, but if we have a population that knows nothing about our country and our government- and worse, doesn't care about either- how are we expected to deal with other concerns that our country will face?

[samuelfbaron]

But the federal government sets national standards for education, as well accommodates "have-not" provinces with funding through equalization programs.

[mtlkay]

(continued)

Sure, lowering the voting age is a great idea... How about first nations poverty? The breakdown of federalism in Canada? Or even global warming? What about that war we're fighting "over there"? Does transnational terrorism strike you as a problem? Decrepid military forces? Looming demographic crisis? Faltering health care system? Menial amounts of foreign aid? Jesus coming to punish us? (Kidding)

[mtlkay]

(continued)

You may have opinions the aforementioned issues - they may even be well developed ones.  Yet this contest was designed to draw national attention to those issues of overwhelming importance. You trivialize the issues that will shape this century by categorizing them as the "hot button" issues of the day.

[suziew]

strengthened*

[suziew]

I definitely agree on the "experience" point. I attended Forum for Young Canadians and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Meeting students from around the country straightened my love of Canada immensely!

There are a few other programs such as this (Quebec summer work exchange, Katimavik, etc) but they aren't advertised enough and DEFINITELY not given enough funding!

[Canadiana4life]

I agree with what some others said- keep the voting age to 18.

[Canadiana4life]

you're annoying

[lmpadmos]

As a teacher and parent I agree, Meg! I think you would be a fine leader - articulate, concise and witty. Great points. (Although throwing the baby away was a little too gritty for those of us who actually have them.)

[pauldope1]

pretty fuckin good point about income tax and voting age. i've been working since 15 an obviously paying taxes to governments I had no hand in electing. i agree that any tax payer should have the right to vote, plain and simple.

[ZAmzallag]

Great ideas. We do need to give canadians the tools to get aware and get involved... But 16? No. I'm sorry 18 y/olds are barely mature enough to vote. And I don't say this because I'm particularly immature and childish (I am!), I say this because most 18 y/olds don't know how to think and reason like experienced adults. I would opt to move the voting age to 20! Your tax paying analogy is a non-issue, might wanna find a new one. But I like the rest : )

[meghrocks]

Hey, thanks for your comments. There are many more reasons to lower the voting age beyond the fact that 16 and 17 year olds are taxed but not able to vote- I've detailed these in my video response to Emrys' questions (click on egrae's video response, and my response is attached to that).

Thanks! Meg.

[TheProudIslamist]

Fight the good fight Meg.

Go Meg Go.

Your fortune is Eye of the Tiger.

I'm out of cliches.

[lemondefoudesophie]

Meg, you never cease to amaze... Brilliant!

[akobeirne]

OK, so in my effort to avoid readings for French class I have watched this video at least 5 times now. I adore it more every time. Good luck, Meg. I think you would make a fabulous PM! And I adoooore your support of the lower voting age.

Again, best of luck! I'll be following the campaign!!!

[WestIndianAK]

As a former NGPM finalist, I think it's a great video. But I see little hope for their collaborating with federally mandated, or even merely suggested, standards for improvements to Canadian students' curricula nationwide. Quebec, Newfoundland and/or Alberta, cooperating with Ottawa in making changes to how Canadian nationhood is taught and portrayed in their provincially-run (albeit partly federally-funded) schools? Fat effing chance.

[CuteAsButtons84]

Which contestant were you WestIndianAK?

Have you had a chance to look at some of Meg's responses? She's already addressed the fact that the curriculum would have a regional element to it and the feds wouldn't be dictating one view of nationhood, they would be developing the content with the provinces.

[WestIndianAK]

I'm Akil Alleyne from the contest's first televised installment, in January 2006. Sorry for not noticing Meg's earlier responses. I'm still skeptical about cooperation from the provinces. They'd likely insist on a very regionalist, diluted curriculum, and Quebec City would probably block any curriculum that didn't convey a Quebec-centric vision to Quebec students specifically. Thus those Canadian youth perhaps most in need of learning about Canadian nationhood would likely learn the least.

[meghrocks]

Hey Akil,

Despite my malignant cold, I've replied to your comment about provincial cooperation- it's in the video responses above.

Thanks! Meg.

[dkperron]

One question Meg - have you got any ideas about who you'll appoint Minister of Finance? :)

[farmington21]

Regardless of what 16 year olds can and can't do...there are many people who pay taxes in Canada and are not allowed to vote. Why should they get representation and others not? Keep the voting age at 18.

[adhenley]

There is a MAJOR difference between being ideological (eg. designing policies in the hopes of a beter democracy and federation) and being pragmatic (eg. fighting for better functioning government programs).

I am a health science student, so I am naturally a pragmatist. I would only work on things that actually change some function of our government.

[farmington21]

Yes, 16yr olds pay taxes but so non citizens and people of all ages pay sales tax. If the voting age is lowered to 16, then they should be considered adults within other aspects of the law too. If they can make decisions about our political future, then they can be charged as adults for all crimes. At 18 a Canadian can buy a firearm, drop out of high school without parental consent, get married, serve in the military, etc. Lowering the voting age gives reasons to change these laws too.

[tragopogon]

18 year olds can vote but cannot drink or smoke in half of Canada. Age limits don't necessarily have to be the same for absolutely everything. For the record, 16 year olds can in fact serve in the military in Canada (with the Reserves and in military college) and quit school everywhere except for Ontario (in Alberta they can do it at 15!). Some countries have lowered their voting age to 16 with no disastrous results, I don't see why we couldn't either.

[apple12039]

I was browsing through all the entries...

Great work on the video!

Excellent ideas; clear and very well presented.

Good luck!

[andycapt]

Megh for Prime Minister! The point about National Exchange programs is an interesting one, and one I wish was more readily accessible when I was in elementary and secondary school. As for the comments below, I can truly say learning a second language (French) was the best decision I ever made. It opened up a whole other world of experiences for me, and is an asset if you have political aspirations.

Well done Megh, best of luck to you.

[westmanguy]

But why do we need to address this? Why do we constantly have to get the government involved in so many aspects of our lives? (I am a Tory). Kids have the right to vote, they have the information at their finger tips. Its their loss or gain. Their shouldn't be forced "empowerment",

[tragopogon]

I don't get it Westmanguy... are you saying that 16 year olds should or shouldn't be able to vote? Since they can't, "kids" don't currently have the right to vote, but giving them that right wouldn't be forcing them to exercise it.

[westmanguy]

I'm sorry I meant the 18-25 crowd.

Kids was the wrong word.

I am not objected to lowering the voting age.

But we can't force people to be empowered.

And who defines empowerment?

[westmanguy]

okay and history, I semi-agree with. I am one of the few peers in my grade (10) who knows politics, history, etc. But their is an extreme (i see this daily in high school) relevant liberal bias to schools, and this hits history too. My history textbook describes Trudeau as great (overlooks NEP, and other errors), and pains Mulroney as awful.

[westmanguy]

You seem like a nice person but EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

Second language requirement? That would never ever fly in western Canada. I live in rural Canada and so far (I am 15) I have never met one person who didn't speak English. Sorry, thats a waste of time........

[CuteAsButtons84]

It looks like you could really benefit from one of the exchange programs Meg is advocating, Westmanguy. There are francophone communities in every province in Canada and surely all Canadians can only benefit from understanding each other better.

[adhenley]

Would you modify the constitution to acheive the goal of interfering in education, or would you merely encourage the provincial legislatures to "take" your suggestions?

[adhenley]

Quebec would HATE having the Federal government interfering in provincial education... especially modifying their civics courses, or mandating certain policies.

Can you say Supreme Court battle?

[tragopogon]

I don't see why her plan would lead to either constitutional reform or a supreme court battle. We all know that education is a provincial jurisdiction, but history has shown that the provinces are happy to work with the feds when there is some monetary incentives attached.

[egrae]

With the exception of Quebec.

[mikeforpm08]

nicely done, you beat me too it ;)

[meghrocks]

Exactly, tragopogon! And adhenley, judging by your video platform for the contest, it would seem odd that you would be advocating against my plan, which would involve more communication and cooperation among provinces.

[meghrocks]

And as to whether or not Quebec would join discussions (although I think they would probably like to assert their stake in the history of French Canada... a potential reason to come to the table) I don't think it really affects the validity of my case. 12/13 (or whatever the fraction might be) would still be a great success and benefit the country.

[theghostorchid]

Your views on education are interesting. I don't see the immediate benefit of one CDN history requirement for secondary graduation. Many students in elementary/secondary schools don't have rudimentary knowledge of CDN history, and other topics, (pre-colonial history) often get ignored. There is an educational disparity on the provincial/regional levels throughout the country. How do you feel this can be reconciled, and through which levels of government and regulation?

[meghrocks]

Hey theghostorchid- I've put up a video response to your questions- see above!

Thanks for your questions, if you have any others, fire away! M.

[Tiffa1122]

So if teenagers can vote, shouldn't they also be eligible to run? It's kind of the natural progression of your arguement.

I would completely disagree with the response you gave in your video...the 'system' shouldn't take the place of parents instilling values in our young people. One of the reasons why alot of youth mischief happens is because parents don't teach their kids. You can't separate politics and values, it's like teaching someone to read without using the alphabet.

[meghrocks]

(2/2) As for your other comments, krystoferson replied very eloquently to them on my video response thread, explaining how a school civics component doesn't exclude learning about politics at home- check it out!

Cheers, M.

[meghrocks]

(1/2) Hey Tiffa-

I don't think that the natural progression of my argument leads to 16-year-olds running for election. Firstly, citizens in Canada can't legally sign contracts until they are 18, which is something I think is fair to expect an MP. Secondly, we already have precedence of age limits for Parliamentarians (i.e. Senators must be at least 30). In that sense, I don't think that being able to vote at 16 and run at 18 is a problem.

[irishlatte]

hey, if you are the next prime minister, we need to talk about overhauling the requirements for alimony and another holiday in February....great video, Meg, good luck!!

aunt moe

[Conservative1DerDog]

I was asked by a co-worker to review your pitch, and I have a couple of questions outstanding:

1. What party did you lead in the model parliament? Is there any particular political ideology you side with: (Neo-Liberalism, Neo-Conservatism, Communism)

2. What is your reaction to the throne speech?

You're not getting off that easy for my vote :) Gotta work for it. The cutsie stuff doesn't work with a more discerning political aficionado.

[Conservative1DerDog]

So lowering the voting age will cure apathy eh? Hard to get the stoners in the parking lot at High School to vote, and a civics class might boost absenteeism thus promoting more smoking up in the parking lot rather than engaging them. Would you not be concerned that many High School teachers lean profusely to the left, and espouse heavy duty union values? Hard to filter that out of a civics class...

[tragopogon]

1DerDog, you're missing the point. In my experience, the biggest factor preventing the average Joe from voting is the sentiment that they lack the knowledge to make an informed choice. Meg's platform isn't going to make stoners suddenly interested in politics, but nothing would get them to the polls (except for maybe snacks). Informing youth and removing the uncertainty that comes from never voting before will dramatically increase the turn out.

[tragopogon]

While I agree with 1DerDog that I wouldn't want many of my former teachers passing on their political views, a strict and standardized curriculum seems like an obvious way to minimize this problem.

[Conservative1DerDog]

Snacks will work...I know this for a fact. We live in the age of information, I would argue that through whatever channel you prefer (internet, television, newspaper, talk radio, friends, family members) you can gain whatever knowledge you need to make an educated decision. Every party has their constitution posted online, Blogs are rampant with personal views, and we have 24 hour news channels which are laden with political news.

[meghrocks]

1DerDog,

A good point, one that I touch on in my video response to your previous questions (you can see the link above). My point in this is: yes, the information is out there. And there's tons of it. But if students don't have a base knowledge and an ability to discern the different sources and different media, they can't become informed. Required civics classes can help in that area.

Cheers, M.

[ViamundtheRake]

I support Child Suffrage. I fail to see why you would select the age of 16? The legal age of sexual consent in Canada is 14 years old. The voting age should be lowered to 14. It makes more sense.

[meghrocks]

(3/3)

3. In response to your comment on the age of sexual consent- I don't think that the age of consent is a good gauge of an appropriate age to excercise political rights, especially since 14 is not the only age for sexual consent (for some sexual acts, it can be as high as 18). Also, seeing as the current government is looking to raise the age of sexual consent to 16, consent is an age that may very well change in the near future.

Cheers, Meg.

[meghrocks]

(2/3)

2. In Canada, 16 is an age where citizens gain rights for a variety of things, including applying for a driver's license or joining the military (i.e. a military college or as a member of the Reserve Force). Voting, I think, is a right that falls along similar lines.

[meghrocks]

Hey ViamundtheRake, thanks for a very good question!

There are many reasons why I think that 16 is a better age to begin voting than 14. A few:

1. As I mentioned in my video entry, I think that those paying taxes should be able to choose their government. And, seeing as over half of the provinces and territories' minimum work age is 16 (with a few others requiring permission for those under 16 if they wish to work), it seems fair to make 16 the age to vote, especially for a federal election.

[soleilbleu2000]

Great video, Great points of view, alltogeher good job.

[skootfairy]

Great points, well argued AND you're totally funny! I want you as Canada's Next Great Prime Minister!

[arcticwoman]

This was all kinds of awesome Meg. ALL kinds.

~Natasha

[Sineadazon]

I can't tell if my last comment actually worked... so I'm posting it again.

Pure. Awesome. Meg.

[AllElseFailsBrent]

I was once on the same floor as meg... i weep for our future. JK! If there's anything I can do to help.... ps. the U of O commercials are wrong it is YOU who is the future of democracy!

[totaleclipse1984]

BAHAHAHAHHAHAHA But you were the lucky one selected for the video, Brent :P

[Melias01]

Not only does Meg know what she's talking about, she's personable, down-to-earth,funny and ridiculously goodlooking! I'd vote for her yesterday!!!

[RUSTYBOYROBOT2]

Hey great video!!! With your winning smile and oustanding production values (i.e. baby) you're a shoe in to be chosen for the show.

p.s. whose the dumbass in the black and yellow vest!?!?!

[soulbossanova]

I'll vote for you to be the Next Great PM, but can I be your next great minister of heritage and/or kittens?

[krystoferson]

heehee, if only all canadian politicians were so witty and cinematically-inclined...

[totaleclipse1984]

FREE LOVE PARTY FOREVER!

Although, I admittedly prefer the year we were part of the Nontario party.

[Wakamex]

have my babies, cut my ribbons

[cteteris]

WOW Meg พูดไทยใด้!!! how is that NOT relevant!?

I'm no longer voting Liberal, I'm voting Meg!

[Gawre]

Megan, I'd vote for you in a second. You need, nay, deserve to win this contest.

[queenglo]

shoot, i think i have a crush on meg. this may be a problem for my boyfriend. maybe.