{"id":8590,"date":"2014-02-19T08:50:31","date_gmt":"2014-02-19T16:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=8590"},"modified":"2014-02-17T11:47:50","modified_gmt":"2014-02-17T19:47:50","slug":"open-space-encountering-federal-leaders-encountering-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2014\/02\/19\/open-space-encountering-federal-leaders-encountering-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Space<\/em>: Encountering federal leaders, encountering hope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Things changed when Justin Trudeau came to town.<\/p>\n

The past few months have been an exciting time for members of the political science club at Camosun College. The club\u2019s Facebook group saw some action in disputing municipal amalgamation, protests against the Canadian Federation of Students in Montreal, and controversial implications of Rob Ford antics in Toronto, but the peak of excitement was when Justin Trudeau came to town.<\/p>\n

Other than holding the title of Canada\u2019s dreamiest politician, Justin Trudeau\u2019s last name and charisma have gotten him from teacher and camp counsellor to leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and now in the running to become the second youngest Prime Minister. But living up to the legacy of his father, the great Pierre Elliot Trudeau, is no easy task.<\/p>\n

The significance of Justin\u2019s father was discussed amongst the Political Science Club after the Liberal event downtown Victoria, leading to lively debate and some chanting against the Harper government. It seemed agreed that Trudeau\u2019s message of hope and positive politics was charming, but unconvincing for some.<\/p>\n

He spoke well and effectively seduced me with his beautiful French and handsome face such that I couldn\u2019t remember my own name when he asked me, but when I snapped back to reality I wanted to know more specifics. How<\/i> are things going to change, Justin? How will things be tangibly different if Justin Trudeau is elected the next leader of our country?<\/p>\n

As the group speculated to ourselves about what Trudeau and the Liberals plan do about corruption in the senate, electoral reform, foreign policy and the Enbridge pipeline, we decided that we would need to hear more details closer to election time.<\/p>\n

I was beginning to think that Canadian politics are headed for hopeless disaster, but little did I know my political excitement was just beginning. In a matter of days I was on the ferry to Vancouver and spotted my hero and favourite living Canadian politician, Elizabeth May, federal leader of the Green Party. We may not have elected May for her smile, like Trudeau, but her environmental activism and influence got her voted the hardest working Member of Parliament and earned my vote years ago.<\/p>\n

After stalking her around the boat for several minutes, I worked up my courage to talk to her, and talk we did! With the help of the Camosun Political Science Club live online, I asked her a plethora of questions that she kindly discussed at length, like, oh, I don\u2019t know, corruption in the senate, electoral reform, foreign policy and the Enbridge pipeline.<\/p>\n

Maybe all it takes is a personal encounter with the leader of a federal party to have hope for Canada after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Things changed when Justin Trudeau came to town. The past few months have been an exciting time for members of the political science club at Camosun College. The club\u2019s Facebook group saw some action in disputing municipal amalgamation, protests against the Canadian Federation of Students in Montreal, and controversial implications of Rob Ford antics in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,122],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-views","category-february-19-2014"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t