MAYDAY MOVEMENT LAUNCHES BID TO REJUVENATE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA

OTTAWA, ON, April 5, 2023 /CNW/ - A group of over 150 grassroots activists from across Canada have joined forces in a movement to rebuild, reform, rejuvenate and modernize the Liberal Party of Canada and its provincial/territorial affiliates. A registered Canadian not-for-profit, the MayDay Movement aims to increase the participation and engagement of young (i.e., under age 35) Canadians and drive a more forward-looking policy agenda for Liberals that is moderate, progressive and fiscally responsible.

The catalyst for the MayDay Movement was the most recent Ontario election, which saw the lowest voter turnout in history (43%), made worse by the fact that fewer than five percent of registered voters under the age of 35 turned out to vote Liberal. Our focus is on combatting the dramatic decline in youth voter turnout in recent Canadian elections  at  all  levels,  primarily  through  online  events  and  social  media engagement. In contrast to the 2022 Freedom Convoy, our efforts to promote increased voter activism will be rooted in a commitment to the principles of peace, order and, above all, good government.

Our Manifesto declares our commitment to building a Canada that is:

• more open and compassionate;
• more productive and competitive;
• more prosperous;
• safer and more secure;
• greener and more sustainable; and
• more entrepreneurial, business-friendly, and fiscally responsible.

The MayDay Movement's immediate priority is to enable up to 500 additional youth delegates from across Canada to attend the upcoming 2023 National Biennial Convention of the Liberal Party of Canada in Ottawa (May 4-6), with the expectation that thousands more will participate virtually. Our primary objective is to revive Liberal campus clubs and riding youth organizations from coast to coast.

The MayDay Movement intends to apply for registration as a Third Party under the Elections Act (Canada) in support of the Liberal Party of Canada's campaign in the next federal election. We are now fundraising directly and online to provide much-needed travel and accommodation subsidies to young convention delegates to mitigate their cost of participating in the upcoming convention. Although donations to the MayDay Movement are not eligible for federal political or charitable tax credits, all expenditures will be subject to full and transparent disclosure quarterly.

In addition to mobilizing increased youth participation, the MayDay Movement has tabled a series of forward-looking policy resolutions inspired by youth delegates and has requested that the National Board exercise its jurisdiction to prioritize these resolutions for consideration on the convention floor.

The MayDay Movement's proposed policy resolutions include:

1. Housing: Improved access to home ownership and supply of affordable housing for Canadians: – Addressing Canada's most critical current public policy issue by addressing the systemic racism inherent in current CMHC first-time homebuyer  criteria  and  by  reducing  the  barriers  to  new  affordable  housing development by Canadian municipalities;
2. Immigration: Modernization and expansion of our education and business- oriented immigration programs: – Focused on Canada's best hope for enhanced productivity,  economic  growth  and  long-term  fiscal  stability  given  our  aging population;
3. Education: Improved access to post-secondary education for Canadians from disadvantaged and remote communities: - Addressing the financial challenges faced by Canadians from disadvantaged and remote communities seeking access to higher education;
4. Climate Change and Environmental Policy: Specific "green" targets re electric vehicles, high-speed trains, oil sands process water purification: - Focused on stimulating private sector investment in achieving global leadership for Canada in green technology and the battle against climate change;
5. Voting Rights: Secure online voting in federal elections, by-elections and referenda; - Committed to modernizing our voting system to promote engagement, activism and higher voter turnout, particularly from young Canadians;
6. High-speed Internet for Rural and Remote Communities: - Required to facilitate online banking, shopping, entertainment, education, healthcare, working and meeting for Canadians living in rural and remote communities;
7. Fiscal Responsibility: Focused on achieving balanced budgets and a federal return to a debt-to-GDP ratio of less than 40% so that the next generation of Canadians can live and grow in an environment of fiscal and social stability;
8. Health Care: Invest in online virtual diagnosis and care technology, and introduce an Excess Benefit Tax Exemption; and
9. Constitutional Reform: Focused on engaging Canadians in the modernization and updating of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms prior to its 50th anniversary to reflect and protect the interests of Canadians in the wake of the technological revolution and the face of climate change and in response to the need for basic economic security.

The MayDay Movement's Manifesto and Policy Resolutions can be found on its website at this link: https://www.maydaymaidezca.org/

SOURCE MayDay Movement

Kurtis Vermont, Mayday Movement Media Spokesperson, Email: [email protected], Tel: [phone]