The Green Party is slowly assembling its team of candidates for the October 19 federal election, and one young woman who hopes to be part of that roster as Canada's youngest-ever parliamentary candidate. Casandra Poitras turns 18 on election day, and hopes to celebrate her birthday by being elected as the MP for Longeuil-St. Hubert on Montreal's South Shore. Poitras is still gathering signatures for her application and is convinced she will collected the 100 names necessary. Whatever the teenager lacks in experience she makes up for with enthusiasm and dedication. Poitras, who began working for the Green Party after meeting environmentalist and politician Daniel Green, said she wants to make a difference in Canadian politics. What triggered her interest was the devastation wreaked by the Lac-Megantic explosion of 2013. "At a certain moment I was just sickened. I said to myself 'That's enough,'" said Poitras. "I want to make a change and prove it, with my writing, in my riding, in the rest of Canada, that young people want to be involved." So far the Green Party has confirmed 16 candidates in Quebec. If successful, Poitras will be running against NDP MP Pierre Nantel, who was elected by voters in 2011 with 50 per cent of ballots cast. The Green Party collected 2 per cent of votes.
