Yukon federal election candidates speak on how to engage young voters

How important is the youth vote to Yukon's political candidates?

How do they hope to appeal to youth and inspire them to head to the polls?

CBC Yukon put these questionsto Conservative candidate RyanLeef, Liberal candidate LarryBagnell,NDP candidate Melissa Atkinson, and Green candidate Frank de Jong to find out what they had tosay.

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Ryan Leef, Conservative candidate and incumbent

"One thing I've focussed on in this campaign in particular is asking when I get to the door if there are any young voters living in the household and taking the opportunity to speak directly with new voters.

"Just spending the time listening and giving them the opportunity and the access to the candidates is one significant step that I think we can all play in inspiring them to get out to vote.

"A lot of the issues that seem to be confronting them right now are issues of local significance the strength of their community, the vibrancy of their community and the health of their community."

Larry Bagnell, Liberal candidate

"I had a spot on my nomination page where they could input their ideas so I try and follow up on those ideas to make sure they're covered in our platform.

"Things like environmental protection and clean energy and affordable housing and funding for the arts and recreation facilities and even our reputation in the world when they travel these are all things that are important to youth and if we don't talk about it, if we don't have platform items for it, if we don't support those, then you could see why youth would be disenfranchisedand cynical and wouldn't vote."

Melissa Atkinson, NDP candidate

"Increasing income inequality and debt and ownership issues are front and centre for young people and basically what I can see is that the NDP and young people have a lot in common, especially when you look at the NDP's plan to increase access to affordable housing, reduce the financial burden of post secondary educationand creating $15-a-day affordable childcare spaces for new parents.

"Some of the positions on my campaign team are involving individuals who are 30 years and younger and it's very important to me to look at their perspectives in helping me bridge the gap."

Frank de Jong, Green candidate

"The issues that the Green party focuses on, it's very youth oriented, very focused to future generations, and I think young people get it. What we're sort of doing is apologizing for the mess adults are making of this planet."

"There's a whole new worldview, a whole new ethic, about the interconnectedness of nature, and how all ecosystems and all countries are all connected. And I think young people understand that. That's incredibly important, because that's part of the philosophy of the Green Party."

"It's not nice to leave someone else to clean up your room, or the dishes. It's also not nice to leave the next generation to clean up the planet, but that's sort of a way we have to leave young people to be responsible, and we should do as much as we can to help them make sure they have a high quality of life on Earth."