There’s more than four decades between the NDP’s oldest and youngest federal candidates for the Yukon.
Robin Reid-Fraser, who’s 19, is running against long-time NDP spokesman Ken Bolton, 62, and social activist Peter Becker, 52.
Bolton has been considering the candidacy for some time.
“But the thing that broke the camel’s back was the funding cuts to arts in Canada,” he said on Friday morning.
Those cuts are based on ideology, not on what’s best for Canada, said Bolton.
“I’m a little surprised Harper is calling an election right now,” he added.
“He’s one man at the top of the food chain who has to have things his own way.”
Bolton’s focus is the environment and health and social issues, he said.
“And we have to do something about the economy.
“I just drove across Canada and in every little town there’s a story.”
The main issue for Reid-Fraser is youth involvement.
“There’s not enough youth in politics,” she said, adding a splash of colour to the grey morning with her blue and purple hair.
“I’m one of the few people I know in my age group in politics.”
Youth are the future and should be involved in the decision-making, said Reid-Fraser.
“But they don’t relate or feel they can make a difference.”
Reid-Fraser is not worried about losing the older vote.
“I know lots of adults, especially in the NDP and I feel I understand a lot of the issues.
“The issues facing Canadians relate to people of all ages.”
Becker, who’s lived in the Yukon for 17 years after immigrating from Germany, wants to “bring a trend reversal to policy.”
Involved in arts organizations and small business, Becker has “seen many political issues that closely related to (his) life.”
“I’m worried about the Alaska pipeline bulldozing over First Nations’ agreements,” he said.
“That would be the crime of our generation, versus the residential schools, which were a crime of another generation.”
He also wants the internet to “remain a free place.”
“I want to hold up the constitutional tradition in Canada,” he said.
The NDP’s nomination meeting is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 11th at Hellaby Hall.