What If YOU Were Prime Minister of Canada?

If you were Prime Minister of Canada, what policies or laws would you enact to make the country a better place? No, I’m not asking this question randomly; I’m asking because the CBC wants to know. Their annual “Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister” contest, for youth aged 18-25, asks participants to detail their big idea for a better country.

Of course, while it’s nice to think that political idealism and a thirst for debate on issues that matter to Canadian youth are the main reasons to enter the contest, it doesn’t hurt that the grand prize is $50 000, a six-month internship with some fantastic organizations, and a chance to meet Rick Mercer, who’s hosting this year’s show (personally, they had me at “Rick”). While I know that many of you aren’t old enough to compete in the contest, that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your while to check it out.

First, I think that listening to the video entries for this year is a good way to see what other youth are thinking. What do they care about most? What problems do they see in our country and how do they think they can be solved? If anything, the videos are inspiring because they give us a fresh perspective on politics. It’s also great to get you thinking- do you agree with the platforms presented, or disagree, or fall somewhere in between? What would your platform look like- as Canadians, what should matter to us most?

The other neat thing, however, is that this year the CBC has based the contest on YouTube. With all of the contestants required to post their video platforms online, the contest has suddenly opened up from its old strictly-TV format and lets everyone participate and comment on each others’ ideas before the final show even airs, which is pretty cool. Not only are contestants asking each other questions and commenting on others’ platforms, but friends, family, and users from all over Canada have been scoping out the competition- some entry videos even have over 2000 hits! In less than a month, the CBC’s Next Great Prime Minister channel on YouTube has become a virtual community of hundreds of people giving their ideas on how Canada could be made better.

I’ve discovered most of this firsthand, as this year I decided to try out for the contest. What can I say? The lure of riches and potentially coming into close proximity of Rick Mercer drew me in. My big idea for Canada is probably no surprise to many of you- to engage and empower Canadian youth in politics.

I could detail my platform here on the blog, but why not click on this link and see my entry video for yourself? Better yet, after you’ve taken a look, feel free to provide your own ideas and comments- either on YouTube, or on this blog. I’d love to hear how you think we should be engaging youth in our country and our political system.

The contest officially closes October 31st, 2007- enough time to squeeze in a video if you qualify for the contest, and certainly enough time to check out the contestants’ platforms and give your own two cents.

My video entry for this year’s CNGPM contest

Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister- official site