What matters to you?
Understanding what’s going on in politics helps you make better choices. Think about it like this: What are the big issues affecting your life? What about your community? And Canada, this big, great country we call home? Understanding what is important to you and then matching that up to politics is a useful way to decide who to vote for.
The three biggest issues that Canadians say will impact their vote in the 2019 federal election are:
Health Care
Cost of Living
Climate Change
“Sometimes your outfit doesn’t match, but it’s still a good fit. Your views and politics don’t always have to match, either.
It’s about finding the best fit. You probably won’t have a political party that matches up perfectly with your values and beliefs. Most of the time, you will find that you agree with a political party on some things, but not on others. Find what works for you.
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Find yourself
You don’t need to be an expert on politics or political parties to vote. But, it does help to figure out your own political identity. Everyone has an issue that rubs them the wrong way, or that they’re hopeful about. Either way, you have the right and the power to elect a government who understands your experiences and will bring Canadians’ hopes and dreams to life.
Take a screenshot and fill in the blanks or download a printable worksheet
What are the 3 most important issues to you?
Why?
When it comes to these issues, what do you wish you knew more about?
Some people define the political landscape or ‘political spectrum’ by using ‘The Left’ and ‘The Right’. But at the end of the day, it’s more complex than one side versus another.
In really simple terms when people say The Left and The Right, this is what they mean:
The Left:
The government has an important role to play in making life better for people.Sometimes ‘the Left’ is called progressive, or liberal.
The Right:
Supporting a free market is the best way to make life better for people. Sometimes ‘the Right’ is called conservative.
People in the middle can be called ‘Centrists’ or ‘Moderates’.
This can be confusing because parties might have some of these words in their names. However, a party’s name and policies don’t always fit neatly into a ‘Left’ or ‘Right’ side.*
Using three issues from the previous page, think of some solutions politicians would offer and place them on the scale below.
For example: Housing Affordability
Left Solution:
The government pays for nonprofit, cooperative or public affordable housing.
Moderate Solution:
The government works with developers to set aside a certain number of affordable housing units.
Right Solution:
Providing tax breaks to developers to build more housing will create more supply and bring down the cost.