Article content continued

To be sure, Trudeau doesn’t speak to all millennials. Like all generations, they are not monolithic. But as a group, their priorities are measurably different than those of the Baby Boomers and Generation X. It is therefore no accident that participation by young voters surged in the last election, and they mostly voted Liberal. According to Statistics Canada, 67 per cent of voters aged 18 to 24 cast a ballot in 2015, compared to only 55 per cent in 2011, helping Trudeau secure his victory.

By 2020, millennials will comprise 40 per cent of the voting-aged population; by 2030, they will form the majority. So where does this leave the New Democratic and Conservative parties, currently searching not only for a new leader, but for a new direction?

There are two schools of thought: compare vs. contrast. At first blush, the other two parties should search for their version of Trudeau: young, selfie-genic, sunny and inclusive. They should tack to the political centre. They should incarnate the hopes and dreams of young Canadians, and give government a greater role in helping them achieve them.

Will their ideals hold up under the weight of responsibility — kids, mortgages, relationships — or mellow, as those of generations before them?

But that may not be the path to tread, either on principle or pragmatism. For one thing, Trudeau has captured the imagination of many Gen Y voters; unless he disappoints them, it will be hard to pry them loose. Second, many voters from other generations criticize millennials as shallow and self-centred, and would be turned off. And third, millennials won’t be young forever. While they will shape Canadian life, that life will also shape them. Will their ideals hold up under the weight of responsibility — kids, mortgages, relationships — or mellow, as those of generations before them?

What the opposition parties need to do is strike the right generational balance. For the Conservatives, that means reviving their youth wing, giving millennial Tories a forum for training and leadership where they are free to shake up the status quo. For the NDP, it means finding ways to make unions relevant to the next generation, and balancing work and environmental concerns. And for both parties, it means taking a hard look at how their principles apply in the millennial world — and how they can make life better for all Canadians.

National Post