Canadian MP uses student contest to collect signatures for a petition....

[Che Guava]

...you can get a scholarship, as long as you agree with us!

MP offers prize to teens who peddle his petition

An Ottawa MP is drawing fire for offering teenagers a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship if they write an essay — and collect 25 signatures on a petition to raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16.

Some students and a professor who studies democracy and education said the deal makes them uncomfortable.

Pierre Poilievre, Conservative MP for Nepean-Carleton, said he wants to raise awareness about teenage sex and that is why he is offering $1,000 for the best 500-word essay by a student in his riding on how to protect children from internet luring by adult predators.

The deadline is Dec. 1 and entries will be judged by two police constables.

The contest includes a requirement that students collect 25 signatures for his petition to pressure the Senate to pass bill C-22, which raises the age of consent to sexual activity by two years to 16. That would make sex with a 14- or 15-year-old illegal for anyone more than five years older (it has an exception for people who are closer in age) and is intended to protect young people from adult sexual predators.

Poilievre's office hasn't received any complaints about the requirement that students also collect 25 signatures for his petition, he told CBC News on Wednesday.

"I don't see the concern," he said. "Any tool you can use to encourage young people to build their minds, to participate in the democratic process and put their thoughts on paper in written word is a good thing."

But some students on their way to morning classes at Sir Robert Borden School on Wednesday said that while they agree with raising the age of consent, they don't think they should have to collect signatures for a petition to qualify for a scholarship.

"It certainly doesn't make students feel more comfortable about the pressures from the government," said a student named Joe. "It's almost like if you want our help, you need to share our opinions type of deal."

Another student named Daphne said she thinks Poilievre should get his own signatures and had her own ideas about the motivation behind the contest.

"It's actually just a cheap way to get you to do it for him."

Prof. Joel Westheimer, who holds a research chair in democracy and education at the University of Ottawa, shares those concerns.

"He is tainting the process by which kids learns to be politically engaged," Westheimer said.

"He's basically giving them the message that … your political opinions aren't important, because here you can get $1,000 for just supporting my position. And kids are not stupid. I mean, they see through this kind of campaign."

link

I didn't think that getting enough signatures for a bill like this would be a problem. Why would you have to turn to a silly contest like this?

Regardless of what you think about the age of consent, do you think that a contest that is supposed to be about original thought should be attached to a petition like this?

 

[The Yankee]

Bribing children to give away their right to consent for another two years. If it's morally or politically dubious, it's still a great tactic!

Though perhaps they need to say that "even these people support it!"

 

[Babbler]

I am fine with the proposal, but this is still a terrible tactic. You shouldn't have to have inducements to get signatures on a petition.

It's another sign that the Conservative Party doesn't respect democracy.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

The moment I saw the thread title, I thought, "this has to be Pierre Poilievre"

 

[Tycoon101]

Who is paying for the $1000 dollar scholarship?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

There are certain legal requirements for people who do petitions anyway. I'm not sure about the age requirement for those who present the petition, but those who sign it have to be at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, and a legal resident of the constituency in which the signatures are collected. The whole thing has to be notarized and the signatures verified. That's a heckuva lot of work that lazy MP is asking the kids to do for an outside chance at winning some money.

If he's so concerned, why not donate $1000 for a scholarship to their school and hire some people to do the work required to administer this petition? That's something school kids should NOT be doing.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

Meh, how is petitioning any different from the required community service you see on other scholarship applications? Example: I had to volunter thirty hours of community service to get confirmed into the Catholic Church (big waste of time, btw)

As long as it's not illegal, no one can really stop him.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

It is immoral and unethical. The $1000 scholarship is one thing -- the essays would be judged by nonpartisan individuals. But to take part in getting the signatures on a petition at least implies that one supports the party of the MP who intends to present the petition in Parliament.

And what if the kids don't support his party? Some would lose out on the chance for a scholarship because they follow their conscience. Others might hold their noses, work for a party they don't believe in, and thereby compromise their personal sense of ethics. This would make them hypocrites -- and teach them that honor is something that can just be thrown away if it means a chance at $$$$$.

 

[Zelig]

There are certain legal requirements for people who do petitions anyway. I'm not sure about the age requirement for those who present the petition, but those who sign it have to be at least 18 years of age, a Canadian citizen, and a legal resident of the constituency in which the signatures are collected. The whole thing has to be notarized and the signatures verified. That's a heckuva lot of work that lazy MP is asking the kids to do for an outside chance at winning some money.

Could be worse, I've seen scholarships requiring a 5000 essay for a chance to win $500.

And what if the kids don't support his party? Some would lose out on the chance for a scholarship because they follow their conscience. Others might hold their noses, work for a party they don't believe in, and thereby compromise their personal sense of ethics. This would make them hypocrites -- and teach them that honor is something that can just be thrown away if it means a chance at $$$$$.

Any different from churches offering scholarships? I could hold my nose, and pretent to belong to a church I don't believe in, for scholarship opportunities.

 

[Che Guava]

Any different from churches offering scholarships? I could hold my nose, and pretent to belong to a church I don't believe in, for scholarship opportunities.

I'm sure you could see the difference between a church offering a scholarship to its members (however committed they might be) and a government representative offering a schlarship to students that agree (or at least support) a certain government initiative?

 

[Mandeville]

Could be worse, I've seen scholarships requiring a 5000 essay for a chance to win $500.

Any different from churches offering scholarships? I could hold my nose, and pretent to belong to a church I don't believe in, for scholarship opportunities.

In some cases it is a lot easier to write a 5000 word essay compared to a 500. Anyway, most of this wouldn't occur in the first place if children in Canada didn't have to pay to go to school.

 

[woody60707]

wow, how is this not out right illegal? If the issue at hand was abortion, or any other political bill other then the new Witch-Burnings of the 21th century, people would be up in arms about this.

In some cases it is a lot easier to write a 5000 word essay compared to a 500. Anyway, most of this wouldn't occur in the first place if children in Canada didn't have to pay to go to school.

And so it starts.

 

[Che Guava]

In some cases it is a lot easier to write a 5000 word essay compared to a 500. Anyway, most of this wouldn't occur in the first place if children in Canada didn't have to pay to go to school.

Children don't, just adults who have graduate high school....

 

[Ansar]

Only $1000?

Pass.

 

[Zelig]

I'm sure you could see the difference between a church offering a scholarship to its members (however committed they might be) and a government representative offering a schlarship to students that agree (or at least support) a certain government initiative?

Yeah, just throwing it out there. I don't think I've seen any church scholarships requiring a written essay, although I haven't looked any them in much detail.

FWIW, I picked up a scholarship in the name of the Liberal party last year, without any actual affiliation to the party.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

In some cases it is a lot easier to write a 5000 word essay compared to a 500. Anyway, most of this wouldn't occur in the first place if children in Canada didn't have to pay to go to school.

Children don't, just adults who have graduate high school....

Excuse me? Since when is education free in Canada? Of course, conditions are different in each province, since under the BNA Act/Constitution the provinces are responsible for education.

But... while my hypothetical elementary school-aged child could attend classes without paying a cent, said child would have NO paper, pens, binders, math instruments (I'm referring to basic geometry stuff, not ridiculously expensive calculators). My hypothetical child would also have no textbooks, as some have to be purchased and others have to be rented. My hypothetical child would be without some portions of the phys. ed classes because there are extra charges for such things as swimming, skating, or any other activities that don't take place either on school grounds or public property. These are just the basics in an elementary school setting, and the problem would be compounded thousandfold for the older grades, particularly high school.

Don't even get me started on the post-secondary stuff...

 

[Japanrocks12]

This is like a watered-down minority scholarship.

 

[Leonel]

... you can have sex with 14 year olds in Canada?

 

[Che Guava]

Excuse me? Since when is education free in Canada? Of course, conditions are different in each province, since under the BNA Act/Constitution the provinces are responsible for education.

But... while my hypothetical elementary school-aged child could attend classes without paying a cent, said child would have NO paper, pens, binders, math instruments (I'm referring to basic geometry stuff, not ridiculously expensive calculators). My hypothetical child would also have no textbooks, as some have to be purchased and others have to be rented. My hypothetical child would be without some portions of the phys. ed classes because there are extra charges for such things as swimming, skating, or any other activities that don't take place either on school grounds or public property. These are just the basics in an elementary school setting, and the problem would be compounded thousandfold for the older grades, particularly high school.

Don't even get me started on the post-secondary stuff...

It's less than perfect, I admit, but still a far cry from grade school tuition. And since when do we have to pay for text books and gyum classes? When I was going through HS, we never spent a dime on either of those...

... you can have sex with 14 year olds in Canada?

That's the age of consent!