Over the summer of 2020, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance launched their pre-budget consultations process, which invited Canadians from across the country to participate. The report pertained to essential priorities involved in the next federal budget, ensuring that youth wellbeing is supported in the restart of the Canadian economy and recovery from COVID-19. After being selected as youth advisors for the collaborative pre-budget submission, Stacie Smith and Braeden Levac were asked to review relevant documents related to the submission, ruminate over the possible impacts and implications, and provide a further recommendation based upon their lived expertise.

The Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity (CCYP) and Frayme collaborated to submit the report in December of 2020, which the Minister of Finance considered in preparation for the 2021 federal budget. This submission not only allowed youth with lived expertise to contribute to consultation process but it represented the need for youth to be at the center of policy creation and research. We asked Stacie and Braeden to share their thoughts regarding this process.

Stacie Smith: I am a 2020 Dalhousie Kinesiology graduate from Saint John, New Brunswick. I completed a certificate in Health, Wellness & Recreation at Eastern College in 2014. I was the President of both the Student Association of Health & Human Performance and the Dalhousie Kinesiology Society during my time at Dalhousie. In this capacity, I worked to draw the attention of senior leadership at Dalhousie University regarding the needs of both faculty and students within the Kinesiology program. I am also the founder of the COVID-19 Student Support Network and Co-Executive Director of the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health. I was the recipient of the PHE Canada Student Leadership Award in 2018-2019 for my leadership role in the School of Health & Human Performance. 

I was honored to be selected to be a part of the House of Commons Review Process, especially being from Atlantic Canada. Many youths from this part of the country may feel excluded in the federal government decisions and this gave me the opportunity to have my voice heard on behalf of Atlantic Canadian youth. Coming from an academic and youth engagement background, I was able to provide my lived experience towards needs for youth across the country. I have worked with a variety of youth from different backgrounds and in different settings, which helped me see what different kinds of youth needed. Some of these supports needed include health access & equity, job opportunities and Indigenous supports. 

The biggest support needed for youth is employment, as many students have lost their jobs or have little to no job prospects after graduation. The government has responded well, by adding more funding to the Canada Student Jobs program, along with extending the period of time a student can be employed and including part time work during the school year. There is still more that needs to be done, especially for recent graduates. Many of these graduates have higher loan debt from their degrees and need support now. With student loan repayments restarting, many graduates still cannot make those payments. The government needs to extend the moratorium to ease the stress that already exists for them. This will allow graduates to focus more on their job search efforts and not worry about finding money to repay their loans. Ensuring that youth voices are heard by government officials is crucial for a prosperous country. We are the leaders of the future and will be the next group of people who will shape the future for generations to come. It will influence society as a whole, as well as showcase Canada as a leader by other countries.

Braeden Levac: Over the summer, I was fortunate enough to take part in the House of Commons Review Process. The best part about it was that it made me feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself. Having the opportunity to provide recommendations for the House of Commons Parliamentary Report was a reassuring and exceptional feeling. With essential issues surrounding youth education, health, re-skilling, training and employment, I was able to apply my experience and knowledge towards advocating for youth. More specifically, I used my experience working as a youth in various communities while considering the input of others that sparked designs for change. The lack of access to resources within communities for youth has demonstrated situations requiring incredible resiliency in the past during times of hardship. Thus, it is crucial that the recommendations and supporting data was not only enough to help the youth community, but that it was enough to spur action! After the recommendation process wrapped up, I was able to meet the diverse and superb group of members spread out across Canada and other countries that made the project possible. When Covid-19 ends, youth will be looking to move forward. Now, the younger generations can become one step closer, given the opportunity thanks to Frayme and the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity. Overall, my positive experience taking part in the report reassures me that people are looking out for youth like us across our country. 

I believe that it is a necessity that youth voices be central in policy-making. As the future of this country, it is vital to be involved in decision making and undergo the experience. If you were affected, wouldn't you want to have a say? For organizations and systems, all groups of society need to be included. Youth want to be engaged in forming an influence on their lives. A strong foundation that outlines our country's future goals and aspirations needs to be built on fairness, stability, and inclusion. This will allow for adaption in the future rather than redesigning policy based on people's new needs. Youth need to be taken into consideration as they make up one-third of the Canadian population. Without support, progress will eventually slow down, and youth will feel disempowered. Nevertheless, as the country's principal resource for future growth, innovation, and opportunity, policymakers must take in younger generations' ideas and needs.