Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
Don't underestimate the voting power of all the new people that are moving into this province. Many of them come from relatively left-leaning parts of the country or world, and will bring along their political views and beliefs. As Calgary and Edmonton become bigger players on the international scene (as they often claim to be doing), they will get a much wider cross-section of immigrants and newcomers. I know many people around here dont like that (there seem to be a couple of fuming posters on this board that appear to want to get the lynch mob ready), but that's what happens when a city starts to grow up....more opinions and choice.
As well, I think young people these days are much more liberal in their social views than their parents. I think every generation tends to be more open than the last in regards to acceptance, so Im not sure if some of the morality issues that right-wingers are pushing will be as important to a lot of younger people as they grow into roles of leadership. There will of course be other hot-button issues that develop, but as a straight, calgary-raised 25 year old of parents who've voted PC provincially and nationally for a long long time, I have absolutely no desire to dictate which genders can have sex or get married. That's not my business, and I really dont even think about it when deciding who to vote for.
The environment to me is what morals is to an older generation. More and more, it becomes my biggest voting decider....and I have a feeling with the way things are going, it will become a much bigger one for young people everywhere.
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I have seen a number of new Canadians/Calgarians quickly move to the side of the Conservatives as well. Also, I still think I am relatively young, 27, and am very right wing and have several friends that are right wing as well. While I agree that there are probably more liberal leaning people amongst these two groups, I wouldn't overestimate the impact of these people in changing the political power. They tend to go to the same areas and thus in a first past the post riding system their impact is more marginalized by either being out voted by the still strong conservative sentiment or by giving more votes to the already elected Liberal/NDP's in Edmonton.
The environment is quite far down on the list of concerns for me as a young voter. The only time I consider it is if I hear a candidate supporting Kyoto, I make sure to note and not vote for that dope.