With the start of a new year, the countdown to budget day is on.
Work is now underway to prepare the Government of Canada’s 2022 federal budget!
The upcoming budget will be the first since the 2021 federal election returned a Liberal minority government to Parliament Hill and will be the second pandemic budget.
As Canada’s decision-makers draw up a financial roadmap and set priorities for the next year, young Canadians are also preparing to have their say.
Through the Student Budget Consultation, youth across the country have an opportunity to actively engage with the democratic process and join the conversation about national priorities.
For the past ten years, CIVIX has coordinated the Student Budget Consultation, a unique classroom program that combines financial literacy, current affairs and active citizenship.
The project includes classroom-ready lesson plans as well as a variety of supplementary learning tools designed to spark discussion.
New to this year’s project are videos featuring personal finance expert Vanessa Bowen from Mint Worthy and reporter Murad Hemmadi from The Logic. Bowen breaks down the essentials of budgeting, and looks at how the federal budget impacts Canadians while Hemmadi explains the key concepts of the economy and fiscal policy, and explores major current economic issues.
Vanessa Bowen emphasizes the importance of the project “….it gives young Canadians the opportunity to get involved in how our government makes economic and political decisions. This platform gives students the chance to have their voices heard, and know their opinions are helping implement important changes that will impact their future.”
Youth taking part in the project compare and analyze the priorities put forward by the federal political parties and reflect on today’s pressing issues before submitting their own input through an online survey. The results of the consultation survey are shared with the Department of Finance and all opposition parties.
Come budget day, CIVIX will be releasing the results of this year’s survey publicly so that all Canadians have the opportunity to hear what matters most to youth across the country in 2022.
To learn more about the project or to register your class to take part, visit budgetconsultation.ca
