In this image: Two children with one of them holding a green sign.
Halifax regional councillor, Richard Zurawski, has been advocating for more youth involvement in municipal politics.

The case for young political candidates

Halifax councillor says the key to fighting climate crisis is more youth in politics

Halifax decision makers need an infusion of youth, according to Halifax regionalĀ councillorĀ Richard Zurawski. He has been advocating for higher youth involvement in municipal politics.Ā 

ā€œRight now we have a bunchĀ of old people who, pardon me, fuckedĀ up everything,ā€Ā saidĀ Zurawski.Ā Ā 

In the 2019 federal election,Ā Zurawski ran as the Halifax-West Green Party candidate. HeĀ said he thinks an influx of youth would be the best way for the city toĀ combatĀ the climate crisis.Ā Ā Ā 

ā€œBack in the ’60s when I was your age, the ’70s when I went to university, protest was a great way of doing things. We affected a lot of change,ā€ saidĀ Zurwaski.Ā 

Ā ā€œThe idea that, that will continue to work in today’s fragmented society, you know, we had 10,000 people turn out for the climate protest. That was a year ago. Nothing has really changed except our CO2 emissions went up.ā€Ā 

Zurawski wantsĀ to see an increase in younger candidates in the upcoming municipal election, on Oct. 17, 2020.Ā For the next few months, he is planning on campaigning province-wide to get younger people to nominate themselves.Ā Ā 

He was invited to the Extinction Rebellion Nova Scotia Annual General Meeting on March 7, where he’d planned to make the argument for protesters to become politicians.Ā Ā 

ā€œIt’s great to protest, it’s great to get out there, all of that stuff. But you really want to make a change? Get your ass elected.ā€Ā 

Running in the electionsĀ 

Running in the upcoming elections only requires a few steps. To become a candidate, one has to put forward a $200 filing fee and a nomination paper signed by five qualified electors.Ā Ā 

WhileĀ ZurawskiĀ has been vocal about influencing the shift in candidates, Zurawski saidĀ the city won’t be doing anything to encourage young people to run in the fall.Ā Instead,Ā they’ll focus on the usual mandate of increasing voter turnout.Ā Ā 

ā€œYou talk to politicians, they will give you a blanket statement saying ā€˜Oh, yes, it’s a good idea that we have young people involved. We have women involved. We have visible minorities involved.’ But who’sĀ gonnaĀ giveĀ up their seat for it?ā€ heĀ said.Ā Ā 

ZurawksiĀ said he will run againĀ in the elections.Ā ā€œI’m pretty sure this is my last term. This will be my second term, if I get elected. After that, I’d like to see someone else take it.ā€Ā 

An insider’s perspectiveĀ 

MattĀ Whynott, a former MLA for the Nova Scotia NDP, was sworn into office on June 19, 2009. It was the day before he turned 24 — making him the youngest elected politician in the province’s history.Ā 

ā€œDepending on who you talk to, they would say, ā€˜oh my goodness, it’s so great to see young people involved, and running and you know, those types of things. But then, of course, whether or not you were taken seriously was a completely different question,ā€Ā he said.Ā 

According toĀ Whynott, being a young person in the political space means working harder than everyone else. ā€œYou always had to kind of go over and above to prove that you were eligible for this job.Ā 

You had to prove to people that you were legitimate,ā€ saidĀ Whynott.Ā Ā 

While challenges existed,Ā WhynottĀ was a part ofĀ a significantĀ environmental decision making during his time in office. As the ministerial assistant for energy,Ā heĀ was involved in the creation of goals for Nova Scotia’s path to using more renewable energy. According toĀ Nova ScotiaĀ Power, from 2007 to 2018, their use of coal decreased from 76 per cent to 52 per cent.Ā Ā 

Ā ThoughĀ WhynottĀ was able to aid the fight against the climate crisis while in office, he is hesitant about Zurawski equating young candidates with the progressive movement.Ā Ā 

ā€œLet’s not forget that. A lot of young conservatives also exist,ā€Ā WhynottĀ said.Ā Ā 

Sam Oosterhoff is an example. The then-19-year-old became the youngest ever elected member of the Ontario legislature in 2016. An MPP for the Progressive Conservatives, who posed issues for the party right after he was elected.Ā Ā 

During his time in office, Oosterhoff was ā€œ100 per cent pro-lifeā€ andĀ describedĀ himself as ā€œabsolutely notā€ a homophobe. His first motion as an elected official was to put forward a legislature allowing communities to reject wind turbine projects in their area.Ā Ā 

Still,Ā ZurawskiĀ believes the key to fighting the climate crisis are young people in office.Ā ā€œI don’t know anybody with half a cerebral cortex who doesn’t realize science is telling us that we need to do something yesterday.ā€Ā Ā 

Lane Harrison

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