The voices of young people from Egmont will soon be heard in Ottawa.
MP Bobby Morrissey has launched a new constituency youth council to give youth in the riding a chance to voice their opinions.
“I’m their representative. I’m their voice in Ottawa,” said Morrissey. “There’s a lot of segments in the riding that have well-organized lobby groups … but if you look at youth, there isn’t any.”
Morrissey said it’s important that young people have a structured setting in which to voice their perspectives, which may differ from the older populations’. Past meetings with youth in the area, Morrissey said, had been “a learning opportunity” for him.
“I had a group about a year ago … and the biggest issue, which surprised me, was mental health,” he said. “It’s a … whole different perspective, that without bringing them in in a round-table environment, I would just not hear from.”
The group will be non-partisan, and there’s no previous political or government involvement needed. Morrissey said he’ll be choosing people of diverse backgrounds, doing his best to have representation across the riding.
In addition to meeting to talk about issues, Morrissey said he’s also open to other activities.
“Some youth councils in other areas take on activities like food drives, or they may go and clean up a beach,” he said. “If they wanted to do things like that, then my office will support them.”
The council, for ages 17-22, will have monthly meetings from January to June.
Applications can be found on Morrissey’s Facebook page. The deadline to apply is Jan. 10.
