Judy LaMarsh Lecture Panel Urges Students to Get Into Politics

^{Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario cabinet minister Mitzie Hunter and public affairs executive Zita Astravas speak during the Judy LaMarsh Lecture Celebrating Women in Leadership, moderated by former CBC journalist Heather Hiscox, at the Isabel Bader Theatre at Victoria University in the University of Toronto on March 4, 2026. (Photos by Neil Gaikwad)}

By Leslie Shepherd

Canada’s political leaders need to listen more closely to young people, and young Canadians need to get involved if they want to shape the country’s future, speakers said at the annual Judy LaMarsh Lecture Celebrating Women in Leadership at Victoria University.

This year’s lecture was a panel discussion with former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario Cabinet minister Mitzie Hunter and public affairs executive Zita Astravas Vic 0T9, moderated by long-time CBC broadcaster Heather Hiscox Vic 8T6.

The annual event honours Judy LaMarsh Vic 4T7, a trailblazing politician who was the second female Cabinet minister in Canada and the first to serve under a Liberal Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson Vic1T9. The lecture aims to facilitate discussion on the intersection of politics and gender, while celebrating women who have succeeded in politics.

Wynne, the Hon. Newton W. Rowell Professor at Victoria College, told Vic One students and others at the Isabel Bader Theatre on March 4 that young people already care deeply about the issues affecting their lives.

“I’m not worried about whether young people care about things,” she said. “I am worried about whether the structures, the institutions, are listening to them.”

Hunter said political leaders also need to do a better job connecting public policy debates to the issues young people care most about.

“If you care about an issue—reproductive rights, for instance—the way to influence the outcome and the policy and the frame of society is by getting involved,” said Hunter, who was a Cabinet minister under Wynne.

Hiscox, the recently retired host of CBC Morning Live with Heather Hiscox, asked the panellists to reflect on how they first became interested in politics.

Wynne said her first experience with activism came at age 14 when she helped organize a protest at her Richmond Hill high school after girls were banned from wearing pants.

“We brought notes from our moms, a group of us, saying we were allowed to wear pants to school, not jeans, nothing so radical as jeans. We got kicked out, and we came back, and we got kicked out. Finally, the board changed the rules.”

Hunter said her introduction to leadership came in high school when she ran for student council vice-president and later became student body president.

Astravas, a former director of media relations for Wynne and senior adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, traced her political beginnings to a civics teacher in Calgary who encouraged students to volunteer on election campaigns.

^{From left, former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, former Ontario cabinet minister Mitzie Hunter, Victoria University President Rhonda N. McEwen, former CBC journalist Heather Hiscox and public affairs executive Zita Astravas.}

Hiscox came to the panel with mountains of data points about youth political engagement that one would expect from a veteran journalist. She said that despite early interest among many young people, participation in traditional politics, particularly voting, remains relatively low. In the 2021 federal election, only about 46 per cent of Canadians ages 18 to 24 voted.

She noted that young people are finding other ways to engage outside traditional politics, volunteering for campaigns, organizing community projects and advocating for issues online. Research shows that social media and peer networks are becoming key platforms for young Canadians to influence public debate. Elections Canada found that 25 per cent of Canadians ages 16 to 22 never checked the news. And when they did, Statistics Canada found almost two-thirds got their news through social media instead of traditional outlets.

Astravas encouraged students to research issues, volunteer and attend local campaigns. “If you care about something, reach out, ask questions, and earn your vote.”

Wynne suggested lowering the voting age to 16 and promoting civic education. “Structural changes can help, but finding an issue you care about and getting involved is most important.”

“Your collective voice and your individual voice matter,” Hunter said. “Get involved in the issues you care about, and you can make meaningful change in your community and beyond.”

In concluding remarks, Vic One student Sarra Morra said the issues discussed by the panel are real and immediate for young people, not theoretical.

“Much of what has been discussed today is not just abstract ideas to the people in this room,” said Morra. “These are realities that we are hearing as young adults. So, to hear from leaders who have navigated these challenges and have paved the way in Canadian politics is very grounding and inspiring.”