PHOTOGRAPHY,^PAWEL^ DWULITDEMOGRAPHIC
DESTINY
Once again, our crowd will
decide who goes to Ottawa
By Moses ZnaimerCARP is a national not-for-profit, non-partisan association committed to advancing the quality of life for Canadians
as they age. CARP's FACES policy platform (CARP.ca/FACES) highlights the key election issues: financial security;
abuse prevention; caregiving and housing supports; exceptional health care; and social inclusion.
To become a member, call 1-800-363-9736 or go to carp.ca.
T
he consensus among political pundits is that
the Liberals won the 2015 election largely on
a wave of support from young or first-time
voters who had been captivated by Justin
Trudeau’s positivity and youthful energy.
The only thing this analysis reveals is the media’s pre-
occupation with youth. It fails to take into account the
role played by the largest, richest and most influential
bloc – the 7.6 million Canadians over 55 who hit the bal-
lot box in 2015, dwarfing the 6.8 million in the 18-to-44
crowd who turned out. The numbers also show who cares
more about exercising their democratic privilege – 60
per cent of older Canadians voted compared to only 40
per cent participation in the younger group.
Certainly, the fashionable, progressive Liberal lead-
er swayed a lot of voters (young and old) who had
grown weary of the bland austerity of the Harper-led
Conservatives.
But I argue that it wasn’t so much “Sunny Ways” that
paid off for Trudeau as it was a strategic visit he made to
CARP headquarters in September 2015, a mere month
before that year’s federal election.
At our CARP Town Hall, he made a number of aston-
ishing senior-friendly promises to a curious and recep-
tive audience. The Liberals later packaged this event
into an online ad, complete with a plug from the former
mayor of Mississauga, “Hurricane” Hazel McCallion.
The ad went viral, and when the next CARP poll came
out, it showed for the first time that the Liberals had
taken a big lead over the Conservatives among older
Canadians. This support held right up until voting day,
eventually putting the Liberals in office.
The lesson? While “youth-quake at the ballot box”
makes for good copy, it’s our Zoomer crowd who still de-
cides the outcome. Building a platform that speaks to
our interests is still the key to winning elections. I feel
that securing pensions, reforming RRIF withdrawal
rules, fixing home care and promoting preventive health
programs like CARP’s Stand Up Straight campaign are
all practical and achievable policies that will absolutely
attract older voters.
The CARP FACES policy platform lists all the issues
that matter to our members. Once you’ve read CARP’s
platform, compare it to what the major political parties
are offering.
Then, on election day, prove the pundits wrong. Get out
there and show the political parties that our crowd is still
very much in control of the ballot box.
Moses Znaimer is founder, president and CEO
of ZoomerMedia Ltd. and president of CARP.(^58) – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 everythingzoomer.com