Where we stand

Ever wake up in the morning and wanted to make change in your community and country? You’re not the only one! Young Liberals from across Canada know this feeling well. We care passionately about advancing progressive policies that matter to Canadian youth. Our proud history over the past eight decades informs the values and ideals behind our drive for progressive change.

Young Liberals believe that government should play a positive role in people’s lives, and has a special obligation to young Canadians. This means assisting them in finding a job today and gaining the skills and training for the jobs of tomorrow. It also means investing in public transit in communities nationwide to get you to school, work and home faster. We agree with Prime Minister Trudeau that Canada’s most important relationship is with Indigenous peoples and support efforts towards reconciliation.

The rights and dignity of each individual is at the core of everything that the YLC advocates for. In the early 1990s, led by President Greg Fergus (now an MP!) we were the first ones in the Liberal Party to advocate for recognition of equal marriage for same-sex couples. We continued the fight until it became a reality over a decade later – one of our proudest achievements. Today, we continue the push for full protection for LGBTQ2+ Canadians – particularly youth – and are very proud of recently passed amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act prohibiting discrimination based on gender expression.

Young Liberals believe every Canadian should be able to attend post-secondary education, and that the federal government has a role to play in assisting them. We’ve long been passionate about protecting our environment and ensuring Canada is a leader in the fight against climate change – Young Liberals even participated in the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference. Believing that everyone deserves the ultimate choice over their body, Young Liberals were early leaders in the fight for “Death With Dignity” – helping make it Liberal Party policy in 2014, then part of the 2015 election platform and finally pushing for the 2016 passage of Bill C-14, which legalized medical assistance in dying.

Young Liberals believe strongly in equitable, evidence-based laws and a fair justice system. During the Harper years, we took strong stances against unfair laws, illegal internet snooping and US-style mass incarceration. Recognizing that the War on Drugs has been a failure, we’ve led the fight to legalize marijuana, from advocating for the passage of the policy at the 2012 Liberal Convention to supporting the recently announced Cannabis Act.

Young Liberals believe that Canada’s foreign policy should reflect not just our interests, but our values. We’ve long pushed for the protection of the world’s most vulnerable, most recently by sheltering Syrian refugees. We support Canadian leadership on the world stage through peacekeeping and other means, and increased assistance to the developing world – particularly through the recently announced feminist foreign policy.

On all of these issues, Young Liberals have brought ideas and energy that significantly shaped the debate and contributed to some impressive achievements. So, what do you care about? Add your passion and activism to our proud Young Liberal record, and help shape the Canada of tomorrow.