Interview with The Honourable Stéphane Dion

That was key in my mind, and I'm pleased to have a leader who will make these kinds of programs something that we need to improve. The same should apply for high school programs that focus on mock elections, for example, this kind of experience.

MH: Are you referring to the Student Vote Canada program?

SD: Yes, of course it's provincial jurisdiction for participating in schools, but Elections Canada should be encouraged to provide all of its expertise to students, to ensure that this type of learning is systematic – something that all young Canadians will have an experience with.

MH: And we could assume this would affect the issue that we were talking about before with respect to voter turnout among youth?

SD: Yes, I think if we do all of this – if we have leaders who are inspiring to youth; if we focus on issues that are important to them; if we boost young volunteerism programs and exchanges; if we give them a systematic experience with mock elections; if we do all of that, we could see an improvement in voter turnout for youth.

It's not easy to do, for the reason we discussed before – the sense of duty to vote is not the same for today's generations if you compare them with older ones – but we should not give up. There is a lot of room for improvement, for strategies to be developed, and I know Mr. Trudeau is committed to that.

MH: Finally, you've had a long and succesful career as a politician, beginning with your appointment as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in 1996.

What advice would you give to young people who may be considering a career in politics?

SD: You have to have a conviction that there is something you want to improve in your society. If you do it for yourself or your ego, you will fail. You may be elected as a politician, but I'm sure you will not stay in the books of history.

I disagree with many of our former leaders, but I would never dispute that they came into politics with a lot of convictions. If there is something you want to do for your fellow citizens, for your country, that is key.

There are many ways by which you can do this – you may invest your time and skills in science or other fields – but one avenue is politics. And if you go into politics at this very moment, you need to know how to convince others of your convictions.

But if you want to convince others of something you don't believe yourself – in your body, in your soul – I would suggest avoiding politics.