The
Young Liberals of Canada (YLC) is the national youth wing of the
Liberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is a major political party in Canada. The party sits between the centre-left and centre of the Canadian political spectrum. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada since the 2006 federal election...
. All members of the Liberal Party, who are aged 25 and under, are members of the Commission of the Young Liberals. The Young Liberals of Canada are the largest political youth organization in Canada. It has been estimated that the YLC has nearly 60,000-80,000 members at various periods, and has a presence in nearly all of Canada’s 308 ridings.
The
Young Liberals of Canada (YLC) is the national youth wing of the
Liberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is a major political party in Canada. The party sits between the centre-left and centre of the Canadian political spectrum. The party currently forms the Official Opposition in the Parliament of Canada since the 2006 federal election...
. All members of the Liberal Party, who are aged 25 and under, are members of the Commission of the Young Liberals. The Young Liberals of Canada are the largest political youth organization in Canada. It has been estimated that the YLC has nearly 60,000-80,000 members at various periods, and has a presence in nearly all of Canada’s 308 ridings. The current President of the YLC is Samuel Lavoie.
History
In an attempt to attract young liberal supporters for his leadership bid,
Pierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC, CC, CH, QC, MSRC , was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984.Pierre Trudeau was a charismatic figure who, from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s,...
campaigned on the promise of reserving specific number of delegate spots at national conventions to young liberals. Trudeau went on to win the party leadership, and YLC was allocated specific number of delegate spots in each riding association and in accredited campus liberal clubs.
YLC wielded unique influence in the party’s
leadership selectionThe first three leaders of the Liberal Party of Canada were not chosen at a leadership convention. Alexander Mackenzie and Edward Blake were chosen by the party caucus. Wilfrid Laurier was also chosen by caucus members with the party convention of 1893 ratifying his leadership...
as it controls the accreditation process of campus clubs. YLC clubs had been fierce battlegrounds during federal leadership races from the early 80s to 2006. The
Paul MartinPaul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC is a Canadian politician who was the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
leadership campaign was particularly notorious for hostile take over of campus clubs leading up to the
1990The 1990 Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention was held on 23 June 1990 in Calgary, Alberta. The party chose Jean Chrétien as its new leader, replacing the outgoing John Turner.-Candidates:*Sheila CoppsSupporters in caucus: Sheila Copps...
and
2003The 2003 Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention ended on November 14, 2003, electing Paul Martin as the party's new leader, replacing outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. The official campaign had lasted several months, although the candidates had been trying to get the position for years...
conventions. YLC's influence in the leadership selection process was greatly diminished in 2009 when the federal party changed its constitution to elect its future leaders by a "weighted
One Member, One VoteOne Member One Vote , as used in the parliamentary politics of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Canadian provinces, is a proposal to select party leaders and/or determine party policy, by a direct vote of the members of each party...
" voting method.
Policy
In many policy areas, the Young Liberals have been more progressive than the party as a whole, taking a pro-same sex marriage position as early as 1994. The Long-Term Commitment to Africa Policy, the Commitment to the Kyoto Accord Policy, the Protection of Sex Trade Workers Policy , Canada Post-Secondary Education Transfer Policy, and the Same-Sex Marriage Rights Policy planks of the Liberal Party of Canada all originated as YLC policy. At the most recent Liberal convention, policies espoused by the YLC include a commitment to an activist foreign policy, focusing on conflict resolution and the promotion of peacekeeping, combating global poverty, the creation of an international convention regulating the global trade in small arms and light weapons and munitions, a commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and promotion of low emissions vehicles, the implementation of a refugee appeal board, the Legalization of Marijuana, the creation of a Ministry of Post-Secondary Education, the elimination of post-secondary tuition fees for second official language courses, promoting and protecting safe-injection sites, and the creation of a National Volunteer and Work Experience Program. The 2005 decision of the Paul Martin Liberal government to not enter into the American missile defence program was in part credited to opposition in the Young Liberals to the program.
Post Secondary Clubs
The Young Liberals of Canada have dozens of Post-Secondary Institution Young Liberal clubs throughout the country. Post-secondary school clubs are organized and run by provincial or territorial organizations and must be accredited by the National Executive of the YLC. Each accredited club may send delegates, with voting rights, to provincial, territorial, and/or national conventions and conferences for both the YLC and the Liberal Party of Canada.
Relationship To The Party
The Commission of the Young Liberal of Canada, therefore, promotes the perspectives, policies, and ideas of Liberal members who have not yet celebrated their 26th birthday. It is not a separate entity from the Liberal Party, but is rather a part of it. The YLC mirrors the structure of the Liberal Party of Canada. There are Provincial and Territorial Organizations, which administer themselves according to their own bylaws. There is also a National Executive that runs the affairs of the entire YLC. The organization binds together provincial and territorial Liberal Youth organizations. The YLC does not always agree with the Liberal Party of Canada. In fact, the YLC often pushes the larger membership of the Liberal Party to adopt new policies that may be viewed as too radical or challenging. In order for the YLC to promote and push a policy for the entire Liberal Party to adopt, it must be an official YLC policy, properly adopted at a Policy Convention. Therefore, The YLC and Liberal Party of Canada often do not agree, or have not passed the same resolutions, at any given time.
Recent Campaigns
The Young Liberals of Canada, in response to Conservative TV and radio attack ads, ran the Hi.im.a.liberal.ca internet video campaign, a spoof of the Mac/PC ads, which garnered media attention for its novelty, as well as the Red Revolution campaign, focusing on the “taking Canada back” by improving youth involvement in politics and the Liberal Party. The Young Liberal "Explain the Tape" event in downtown Ottawa gained national attention, being featured in national media such as CBC Newsworld and Macleans magazine. The Young Liberals most recently ran the Go Green, Vote Red initiative, reaching out to environmentalist voters and promoting the Green Shift/Carbon Tax proposed by the party.
Prominent Former Members
YLC has proven to be a training ground for budding politicians and political organizers. Many elected officials played prominent roles at the party’s youth wing. They include:
- Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , is a Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003, and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1990 to 2003.-Early life:Chrétien was born on January 11, 1934 in Shawinigan, Quebec, as the 18th of 19...
, former Prime Minister (served as young liberal president of Université LavalUniversité Laval is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French. Its main campus is located in Quebec City, Quebec, the capital of the province, on the outskirts of the historic city.According to the university's...
)
- Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition in Canada. Widely known for his work as an historian and author, Ignatieff held senior academic posts at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the...
, current federal leader (served as national youth organizer)
- Hon. Denis Coderre
Denis Coderre, PC, MP is a Canadian politician.-Background:Born and raised in Joliette, Quebec, Coderre is a political science graduate from the Université de Montréal and completed a Master in Business Administration from University of Ottawa...
, current MP and former federal minister (as president of YLC's Quebec wing called for the resignation of Leader John TurnerJohn Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is a retired Canadian lawyer and politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984. Turner held the office of Prime Minister for 79 days, the second shortest tenure in Canadian history after Charles Tupper...
)
- Hon. Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan, MPP is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1995, and is currently the Minister of Finance in the government of Dalton McGuinty...
, current provincial minister (served as aide to Rt. Hon. Herb GrayHerbert Eser Gray, PC, CC, QC is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister , and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son...
, contested the presidency of YLC's Ontario wingThe Ontario Young Liberals is the official youth wing of the Ontario Liberal Party, and the Ontario wing of the Young Liberals of Canada. All members of the Ontario Liberal Party, or the Liberal Party of Canada , who are aged 25 and under are members of the OYL...
)
- Rob Oliphant
Robert Oliphant is a United Church minister and a Canadian politician. He was elected October 14, 2008 to the House of Commons as a Liberal for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West in the 2008 federal election.- Personal life :Born and raised in Sault Ste...
, current federal MP
- Bonnie Crombie
Bonnie Crombie is a Canadian Member of Parliament elect for the electoral district of Mississauga—Streetsville, in Ontario...
, current federal MP
- Ruby Dhalla
Ruby Dhalla is a Canadian politician. She has represented the riding of Brampton—Springdale in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004 as a member of the Liberal Party...
, current federal MP (served on YLC national executive)
- Scott Andrews
Scott Andrews is a Canadian politician. He was elected to represent the Newfoundland and Labrador electoral district of Avalon in the 2008 Canadian federal election. He is a member of the Liberal Party. Prior to being elected MP he served on the Conception Bay South Town Council.-External links:*...
, current MP (served as YLC National Vice President, and contested YLC's presidency)
See also
- Ontario Young Liberals
The Ontario Young Liberals is the official youth wing of the Ontario Liberal Party, and the Ontario wing of the Young Liberals of Canada. All members of the Ontario Liberal Party, or the Liberal Party of Canada , who are aged 25 and under are members of the OYL...
- Young Greens of Canada
The Young Greens of Canada is the youth arm of the Green Party of Canada and was formed at the 2006 leadership convention. The Young Greens are attempting to spread the Green message through the establishment of Green Party campus clubs at Canadian Universities. Currently 23 such Green political...
- Young New Democrats
The New Democratic Youth of Canada is the youth wing of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Any party member, aged 25 or under is automatically a member of the NDYC and is eligible to attend and vote in the Youth Conventions on both the provincial/territorial and national levels.Unlike the youth...
- Young Communist League
The Young Communist League was or is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX was generally taken by all sections of the Communist Youth International.Examples of YCLs:...
External links