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I had the honour of participating in the annual HOBY youth leadership conference on Saturday, May 4th. I was on a panel with Ed Holder and some others discussing how youth can get involved in politics. Below are the remarks I have to the students.

Political parties used to serve an important purpose in Canadian society. They had robust memberships and were effective vehicles for connecting the experiences of citizens on the ground to decisions made in legislatures.

This is not the case today. Political parties are shells of their former selves, controlled more by the leaders’ office than the membership.

As such, Canadian democracy has lost an important way of engaging citizens in policy making – but a renaissance for all political parties is possible; but it will only happen if more people like you get engaged with a political party.

I know this is a hard sell. The image of politics – nasty, boring, old, disconnected from your concerns – pales in comparison to the many other ways for you to get involved in your community. You can probably find a cause that fits your exact interests; you can roll up your sleeves for that cause and can usually see a quick and tangible result from your efforts. You’ll also probably have fun doing it.

In comparison to many NGOs and Non-Profits, getting involved with a political party, and staying involved with the party, isn’t as easy.

The most difficult challenge is that you have to actually choose a party. It is difficult to choose because no party will perfectly match your values, priorities or belief structure – you have to learn to live with things you disagree with in order to advance the things you do care about.

So why take the leap and make this difficult choice?

Political parties can breathe more life into our democracy – but they’ll stay exactly the same if good people like you don’t get involved.

How can parties reform? I could list many ways, but I’ll focus only on a few in the time I have.

Giving the party rank and file an actual say in the party’s political platform would be a very good start. Presently, party members can debate and pass policy at policy conventions, resulting in a very thick policy book that sits on a shelf. It is how that policy book is prioritized into a party platform during election, and how the policy book informs a government’s agenda, that really matters. Party members through their individual MPs and MPPs, not the leaders’ office, should have more say in setting the party’s election and governing agenda.

I think the process for nominating candidates should also change.

All parties should have open nominations, meaning that any party member can throw their hat in the ring. No automatic nominations for past-candidates or sitting members. No veto from the leaders’ office of candidates they deem to be unsuitable; just open, direct democracy at the riding level.

This would make candidates feel more responsible to their local riding association than to the leaders’ office, but would also put a greater responsibility on the riding to provide ongoing feedback to a sitting member. To go along with open nominations, it is also critical to expand the freedom for local MPs and MPPs to vote their constituents’ will rather than through edict from the leaders’ office.

These reforms can happen, but they require enough party members to stand up and demand them.

So I challenge all of you to explore engagement with a political party.

It won’t be the sexiest, easiest, or most fun way for you to make a difference – but rarely in life will the most important forms of leadership be the easiest. They usually involve sacrifice, hard work, and frustration. But the payoff for perseverance can be meaningful change.

Read about each party and what they stand for. Learn about the local candidates in your riding and where they come from. Attend a meeting or go to an event. Then choose.

We need you, and I can guarantee that all the political parties will welcome your involvement with open arms.

I delivered the following remarks on March 25th, 2013 at Western University for the University Students’ Council organized event ChangeCamp Western 2.0.

I’ve been asked to speak this evening about making change by engaging with politics. I’ll do my best to leave you with a few practical ways you can do so.

Political engagement to me is a passion. My partner and I actually fell in love as students watching Parliamentary Question Period on CPAC; our six year old daughter has been photographed with more politicians than Santa Clauses and she once demanded that her bedtime routine be enshrined in by-law and be proclaimed by the Mayor of London because “he’s really in charge, Daddy.” 

I’ve spent all of my adult life working within formal political systems to promote public policy change. I’ve been a non-partisan lobbyist; I’ve also been an active member of a political party. I’ve even been a politician myself, serving in various student leadership positions at Queen’s University.

I’m going to talk about engaging with politics as a way to create change, but I don’t want you to leave here with the impression that it is the best way, or it is somehow superior to the many other methods of bringing about societal change.

I believe the method of change you choose – working inside the system or outside of it – is deeply personal. You may even find yourself as an activist at one stage of your life, and a political insider at another.

Your own comfort zone may dictate your method. I’m far more comfortable making a quiet phone call to a politician than I am standing at a barricade with a megaphone. For you, it may be the opposite.

The difficulty of convincing the political establishment to make change may also dictate your method. Depending on your cause, doors of legislatures may not open for you; if they do open, there may not be the political will or political courage to make the change you seek. In such circumstances, you’re left with no choice but to create political will by organizing your fellow citizens, and getting public opinion on your side.

I’ll give you a contemporary example to demonstrate how public activism can impact politics.

In the United States, the past year has seen a growing acceptance by politicians of equal marriage rights for same-sex partners. Acceptance has been due to a range of political, legal, and personal factors, but has gained support of the President and Vice-President of the United States, a potential future President in Hillary Clinton, and even by socially conservative politicians like former Vice-President Dick Cheney and Senator Rob Portman. Over the weekend, George Bush’s political strategist, Karl Rove, stated that he believes it is possible that the next Republican candidate for President will support same-sex marriage because public opinion will make it a political imperative to do so.

This recent progress would not have occurred were it not for years of struggle by activists who courageously took to the streets during times when Pride Parades weren’t sponsored by major corporations, and when counter-protestors with fear and anger in their hearts vastly outnumbered the participants and allies who had joy and love in theirs. I can’t do justice to my respect for gay rights activism here this evening, other than to say that it is a fascinating study in how activism combined with traditional government relations methods can work hand in glove to bring about change.

I have tremendous respect for activists, but activism has never been in my comfort zone. So now I’ll share some ideas about working within the political system to make change.

There are many ways to work within with the political system, but in the short time I have I’m going to promote a single idea: getting involved with a political party.

I know the prospect of joining a political party is daunting. It’s hard to choose a party that fits perfectly with your beliefs. Politics can also feel more like a senseless blood sport than a purposeful act of citizenship.

There’s also a fear that joining a party in your youth could hurt you in the future. What will potential employers think? What will your friends think? How can you join a party when you’re still struggling with your own personal beliefs?

But joining a party and getting active with that party is a mainline to influencing public policy in Ontario and Canada. Too few Canadians vote, let alone join a party and get active with a party. Woody Allen once famously said that 80 per cent of life is just showing up. I’d say it is closer to 95 per cent for political parties. You can gain significant influence by just raising your hand, voicing your opinion on issues, and knocking on doors to help get people you believe in elected.

So how can engaging at the grassroots with a political party have an impact?

The Federal Liberals introduced bills in 2002 and 2004 to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Both bills died on the order paper – the first due to prorogation and the second due to Paul Martin’s government being defeated – but both bills came very close to becoming law.

The push to decriminalize was championed by the Federal Liberal caucus, but it started through grassroots policy development and well-honed advocacy done by the Young Liberals. The youth wing of the party remains influential today, and continues to push the party with its policy development and advocacy.

The NDP also has a very active youth wing. If you were involved with the NDP in Quebec a few years back, you may have been asked on a whim to put your name on a ballot so that the party could field candidates in every riding. If you did, you’d be a Member of Parliament today.

The Ontario Progressive Conservatives also have an active youth wing; the Federal Conservatives don’t, but there are still plenty of opportunities to engage with the main party.

The Green Party is also an excellent option for you to explore. There’s an excitement about them with youth because they’re so hard to pin down on any political spectrum and they’re new enough to be willing to take more risks on policy. They also have a strong ‘doing politics differently’ brand, and it resonates.

For all parties, you can join the regular riding association and get active at the riding level. If you got active with the riding, you’d be welcomed with open arms because you’d bring enthusiasm and new perspectives. You can also get involved on campus with political clubs, which is a great way to make your voice heard if going off campus is a bridge too far.

I’ve talked in generalities, so I’ll tell you a bit about my personal journey with party politics. I decided when I moved back to London to get involved with the Ontario Liberal Party. Education policy is my passion, I’d lobbied the government for years on the subject as a non-partisan representative, but when I moved home to London I didn’t have a fancy title or the legitimacy that came with my previous position. So I needed to find another way into the system.

I showed up to a riding meeting to check it out. By the end of my first meeting I was the Vice—President of Policy for the riding. A few months later, I was at a policy conference in Collingwood surrounded by other riding Policy VPs and Presidents, and the entire Liberal cabinet and the premier – a situation I could only have dreamed of in my previous position as a lobbyist; a few months after that I was advising on the education section of the party’s election platform.

A few years later I found myself as a supporter of Kathleen Wynne during the party’s leadership race, and got elected as a delegate to the convention that elected her as premier.

Then a few months ago our riding President and our MPP in London West resigned, and I now find myself as President of the association and am facilitating the search for our next candidate in preparation for a possible general election this spring, or a by-election by the fall.

Getting active with the party has allowed me to quietly push behind the scenes for public policy issues that I care about, and I’ve seen results from my participation. I’m just a regular person like you. All I did was go to a meeting and put up my hand. That simple act – the decision to engage, and then the fortitude to stick with that decision even during the tough times when things aren’t going exactly how you’d like them to go – can have a profound impact.

I know you are implored to get out and vote at election time. But many of you are left with options that you don’t like.

So the challenge I’ll leave you with this evening is this: if you don’t like the options, engage with them. Work with them. Change them. You’ll be frustrated at times. You won’t always get your way. But you’ll be doing your part as a citizen to change our politics by engaging with it.

Thanks for your attention, and thanks for being a part of ChangeCamp.

If you told me six months ago that Ontario would have a new Premier, that Megan and I would be elected as delegates to the convention that elected that Premier, that Chris Bentley wouldn’t be the MPP for London West, and that I’d stand in as President of the London West riding association as it goes through a period of renewal – well, I’d likely have uttered words that Ava shouldn’t hear or repeat within earshot of her teachers or grandparents.

But here we are. Into the breach.

I’ve done my bit in the political realm before. I’ve helped on municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns; I even ran myself in a few student elections. I won’t pretend to be some kind of grand strategist or hardcore campaign worker. I’ve donated some money, dropped flyers, knocked on a few doors, and just did my bit. But now I’m all in.

I find myself at a curious and admittedly uncomfortable crossroads – and I invite you to join me and the other committed people who do their part for the riding association.

I know joining a political party can be an intimidating proposition. Parties have lists and being on those lists can scare people; fear that a party card is a scarlet letter that follows you always. I can assure you that you will face no reprisals for your participation. In fact, you may actually have some fun, meet interesting people, have a say in the policy direction of the party and the province, and help elect the candidate who will run for the Liberals in London West in the next election.

I get that party politics isn’t for everyone. I also get that being a Liberal isn’t for everyone. But if you’re just a bit curious, I’d be happy to get you engaged here in London West. We’re going to host some open forum meetings starting in the spring. Check us out. Have some coffee. No pressure. More details to follow.

OK, time for sleep now.

Many moons ago I was part of a City of London Task Force that was charged with studying the implementation of an Integrity Commissioner for the City of London. We did our work and ultimately recommended that the city move forward.

In the course of some volunteer work I’ve been doing I came across the old report. Thought I’d just post it here for anyone who is interested. I didn’t weigh in when this issue once again came before Council a few months back because I’ve been focused on family, health and other community pursuits. Also, I just got my blood pressure back in check and try to avoid things that might reverse that progress!

I’m still a big supporter of implementing an Integrity Commissioner. There certainly are challenges in doing so. How do you ensure vexatious, politically motivated complaints aren’t levelled against Councillors? Who pays if a Councillor needs legal counsel as a result of a complaint? Is there value for money there - is the cost justified? I think all of these concerns can be addressed through the complaints and investigation process, and the public benefit of bolstering trust in our elected officials is worth the cost. The cost also isn’t that dramatic depending on the model a municipality chooses.

I know my blogging has been very infrequent, but here’s a little piece that I wrote for welcoming remarks I gave at a London Youth Advisory Council and University Students’ Council meet and greet.

Thanks to Matt Ross and all of the young leaders who have worked so hard to get the LYAC off the ground. I’ve got a little daughter at home, and I know that her future will be bright with such a dedicated group of engaged young leaders cutting a path for her to follow.

I’ve been asked to share a few thoughts on the importance of coming together to collaborate on municipal public policy, and the potential for greater student and youth advocacy at City Hall.

I have experience working will all levels of government, but the municipal level is my favourite. So I’m happy to pass on a few thoughts, and leave you with a challenge: engage as actively in city politics as you do with provincial, federal and university politics.

The population of Fanshawe College and Western University makes up about 10 per cent of London’s population. Add in High School seniors and university aged youth in the work force and you’ve got a good sized demographic within the city.

There’s a common misconception that all students and youth believe the same things, have the same political beliefs and see eye to eye on all issues. Having worked with politically active young people for more than a decade, I know that to be untrue. But you do share many common traits:

Many of you live in rental housing and indirectly pay municipal property tax through your rent.

Many of you need to move around London - you take transit, you ride your bike, you walk, and some of you drive.

Many of you would like to have a part-time job or an opportunity to start your own business on the side - something that you can use to take the next step after graduation.

Many of you enjoy life outside of class or work. You want a good arts and culture scene, nice parks, recreation opportunities and great restaurants.

Many of you are from somewhere else - maybe just down the 401, or maybe from another continent. You want to feel connected to your academic community, but maybe you want to feel connected to your adopted city too?

Many of you care about social issues and the environment and want to make the city and world a better place.

You all want to feel safe, welcome and connected to your neighbourhood.

You also care about ‘retail’ issues like any London resident. You want your garbage picked up, maybe even on the same day each week! You want your street to be safe and well lit, you want clean parks, the buses to run on time, good roads, less traffic, a house that is well maintained, a place to park your car - and you want the ability to play music at a reasonable volume and be with your neighbours responsibly enjoying a frothy beverage without getting a ticket.

The municipality impacts all of the above issues is a very tangible way. And I’m betting that London has areas for improvement in your view.

Unfortunately, the combined voices of youth and students in the city aren’t heard clearly or often enough by local decision-makers. You can chalk that up to many reasons, and there’s no utility in assigning blame, but now LYAC provides a unifying space for disparate voices to come together and share experiences and concerns. There hasn’t been an accessible venue to roll up your sleeves and develop pragmatic, workable solutions that City Hall can implement.

This stands in stark contrast to students’ interactions with other levels of government. Students are heard loud and clear at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill thanks to the bringing together of many student voices to speak as one on issues of shared concern - thanks to the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations and the Canadian Federation of Students. The time has come to do the same at the local level, so you can make the same impact for students at London City Hall that you make in the legislatures in Toronto and Ottawa.

Two things about advocacy at the local level that make it different from provincial or federal advocacy - one presents and opportunity to capitalize on, and the other presents a threat to defend against (or could be an opportunity, depending on your perspective):

The opportunity is that you can make things happen quickly at the local level. Municipal government is smaller, more personal, and faster on the ground. If you identify a challenge, get some people together to brainstorm a solution, present that solution to your local councillor, you can see change in weeks or months. Depending on the complexity of the issue, you can even see action is days or hours.

And you can do it without taking out a membership in a political party - which makes municipal politics more accessible, and allows for unique alliances to form around issues.

When planning an advocacy agenda at the Provincial or Federal level we talk in terms of getting things done over 4-year terms of governments - 1 year if you’re lucky. Partisanship plays a role, which can be a barrier to cooperation even in the face of seemingly non-partisan issues.

The threat, which I suppose is also an opportunity, is that local politics can be a “squeaky wheel gets the grease” kind of advocacy environment. Sound public policy positions can take a back seat to the enthusiasm of a small number of loud and well organized voices. Those voices can be on Twitter, at public meetings, or in the back rooms unseen - some are pure and well intentioned, others are self-serving.

The same goes in your neighbourhoods. A few long-term residents upset with the behaviour of a small number of unruly student neighbours can have tremendous city by-law and police resources dedicated to the issue if they know the right buttons to push at City Hall. To you it may seem excessive, to them it is reasonable - their view wins the day because they have the motivation and knowledge to get the city to address their issue.

Power to all local advocates for using the tools at their disposal to move issues forward, no matter how misguided you and I may think their issues are. I’ve spent the better part of my life in the advocacy environment, so I have a great deal of respect for groups of people who come together to make change - even if I don’t necessarily agree with the change they are pitching.

But take this as a lesson that if you’re not vigilant and are not part of the conversation, your interests can be overwhelmed by a smaller number of dedicated and connected voices. You’ve got to be at the table.

Now imagine if the London Youth Advisory Council, the University Students’ Council, the Fanshawe Students’ Council, student leadership at London secondary schools - the student trustees and council presidents - came together to explore common issues and developed policy solutions that could be lobbied at City Hall?

There is tremendous power in coming together around a small number of common issues. You can make progress, and you can do it quickly if you go about it in a respectful way in partnership with city administrators, politicians and other local community advocates and activists.

Remember the mission of the USC is to enhance the educational experience and quality of life for students. A big piece of quality of life happens outside Western’s gates - seize the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives in London, not just here at Western.

Following in the proud tradition of the alliances students have worked so hard to build at the provincial and federal levels, I know you’ll use this power thoughtfully and responsibly; I also know you’ll have a very receptive audience at City Hall, and London as a whole will be better for it. It isn’t as sexy as lobbying at Queen’s Park or Parliament Hill, but I promise you that the impact on students’ daily lives can be significant and meaningful.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to speak with you this afternoon, and keep up the good work.