First-time voters in York Region uninspired
NDP gets some support from college-bound youths

YorkRegion.com
June 12, 2014
Zoe Chong

With the polls closed, it's clear first-time voters feel there's a lack of an inspiring political culture in Ontario.

Yorkregion.com spoke to students at Markville Shopping Centre in Oak Ridges-Markham tonight.

Eighteen-year-old high school student, Quincy Leung, said although he has no real interest in politics, he wanted to have a say in who was elected.

He said he was concerned with the cuts that some parties promised to make regarding teachers and how that would affect extracurricular activities at his high school.

Leung voted for the NDP because he felt they were meeting the youth demographic's concerns by lowering tuition fees and reducing the interest on student loans, which would benefit him greatly when he goes to university next year.

Like Leung, Marina Kousa said the NDP was the only party that she felt addressed the issues students faced.

"Of course there needs to be change," the 19-year-old said.

Kousa said the job front would not improve with the Liberal government continuing to hike taxes and increase tuition.

Aldeane Hibbert, 20, said all parties had a plan to create jobs and that was important to her. She said she would be graduating soon so she wanted to see job opportunities available to her.

On the other hand, 22-year-old Kat Chan said she didn't have time to vote. She said she didn't care enough to vote because she didn't think it would make a difference.

"There's already so much corruption, what more can change?" Chan said.

Leung added many of his friends decided not to vote because they just had no interest in politics or who was elected.