Letter to the Editor -
Dear Editor:
Congratulations to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for understanding that youth are not the cause of our democratic deficit in Canada, but the cohort most likely to renew and invigorate our democratic institutions.
In their newly released Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy, the Newfoundland and Labrador government announced the creation of a Minister Responsible for Youth Engagement, a quarterly Youth Partnership Forum where youth will directly advise the government on issues that matter most to them, and a 3-year $15 million commitment for initiatives aimed at retaining and attracting youth to the province.
A government that asks young people for their ideas and guidance gets good answers. Young people are savvy, smart and engaged; If you include them in the policy-making process, they readily identify the key issues and offer up creative and innovative solutions that may directly influence their future.
Newfoundland and Labrador have made a bold move in integrating youth needs into their public policy process. The rest of Canada should take a lesson from Newfoundland and Labrador, just as Newfoundland and Labrador are taking a lesson from their youth.
Dr. Sharon Manson Singer
President, Canadian Policy
Research Networks
