After 20 years of programming, research, and education, Apathy is Boring is launching a national youth-led democratic reform campaign. The “Better Democracy Roadmap” includes reforms the organization says must be adopted "to protect our electoral ecosystem before Canadians head to polls in 2025."
The policy platform covers ten changes for what it calls "a more mature and responsible democracy" under the following four themes:
Voting & Elections
Political Finance
Transparency and Integrity in our Politics
Celebrate Democracy.
This new effort comes in response to the organization's Democracy Pulse survey in 2024 with Abacus Data, which highlighted a continued trend of young adults having doubts over the government’s ability to deliver in the public interest.
“More Canadians—especially young people—are losing faith that our governments can make things better as they are experiencing increasing financial and structural inequality. Our democracy urgently needs modernization, and delaying it is a risk we can no longer afford,” says Samantha Reusch, Executive Director of Apathy is Boring.
As Canadian youth have experienced the largest declines in satisfaction with democracy, the campaign focuses on many opportunities for sensible reforms.
The Better Democracy Roadmap says the rules for party nomination races should be the same as for voting and that Elections Canada should have jurisdiction over them. The roadmap also calls for the annual donation limit to be reduced from $1750 to $100 and the per-vote subsidy to be reinstated. Another proposal calls for the public disclosure of Parliamentarians’ financial and investment interests. Finally, the roadmap calls for the closing of loopholes that allow foreign interference in Canadian politics.
“In Canada, the path from being a private citizen to a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons should be the same for everyone, regardless of partisan affiliation,” noted Reusch.
The Foreign Interference Commission’s May 2024 initial report outlined party nomination races as a specific point of vulnerability. In November 2024 the federal government agreed to an extension on the deadline for the Public Inquiries final report to January 31, 2025.
“It would be a disservice to voters if they’re knowingly sent into a general election this year without addressing the tangible foreign interference issues raised by Justice Hogue,” Reusch added.
The Montreal-based non-partisan charity receives funding through the Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program run by Employment and Social Development Canada. The goals align with United Nations objectives for 2030.
The new roadmap says, "We need to establish a Day of Democracy in Canada. (similar to the September 15 International Day of Democracy at the United Nations)."
In 2023, Apathy is Boring received funds from the Catherine Donnelly Foundation for its Build program.
"The BUILD Program offers immersive, experiential learning for young adults across Canada aged 18-30 to equip them with advanced and actionable civic knowledge, skills and networks to advocate for institutional change beyond the ballot box. Reducing poverty, anti-racism and other issues that combat forms of exclusion and oppression will be examined...Funds from the Foundation will provide resources for participants to convene and develop their networks," the foundation explained.
Apathy is Boring advocates for the voting age to drop to 16, the promotion of equity, and replacing the first-past-the-post system.
The charity was founded in 2004 by three young Canadians. Its initial purpose was to encourage young adults to vote in the 2004 federal election. Since then, the organization has developed a range of initiatives to encourage young people to participate in civic activities and to assist organizations in becoming more youth-friendly.
The organization invites Canadians aged 30 and younger to join their movement at ApathyIsBoring.com/get_involved.