October Executive Blog

October 21 is the Canada Federal Election, and I hope that you take the time to vote. By now hopefully, you have also seen our Get Out the Vote contest. You may be wondering why we are encouraging our members to pledge to vote. There are many reasons that we are working with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) to run the Get Out the Vote campaign. The main reason for the campaign is to raise awareness about the federal election and encourage students to get out and vote. Another important reason for the campaign is to help with our federal advocacy on behalf of students.

AUSU is a proud member of CASA, and as such we are actively engaged in federal advocacy. Every year we meet with Members of Parliament, Senators, and various government stakeholders to share the challenges that students face and work towards creating a more accessible post-secondary system. From these advocacy efforts, there have been many government changes over the recent years, such as increased Canada student grants, increased student research funding, and reduced student loan interest.

By pledging to vote, you show the government that you are getting out to vote and that issues that you face matter. Currently, AUSU members in every province and territory in Canada have pledged to vote, which is an amazing accomplishment that shows how widespread our membership is. Your executive team and council will continue to advocate on your behalf, and we appreciate everyone who has joined the campaign. If you haven’t joined yet, there are still a few days left to pledge to vote and be entered to win a free AU course and other great prizes. You can pledge to vote at getoutthevote.ca or find out more information on where to vote at Elections Canada.

AUSU is also very involved in provincial advocacy and institutional advocacy. We meet regularly with provincial government officials and university administration. We are working hard to bring forward the concerns that you share with us. We would love to be able to continue to hear from you. If you ever have concerns that you would like us to raise with the university or the government, please send me an email at president@ausu.org.