OTTAWA — In this spring's federal election, voters chose four MPs born in the 2000s – the first Canadians from that age group to ever hold seats in the House of Commons.
Eight months into the job, young lawmakers representing the interests of the entire country say they believe they are already making a difference.
Liberal MPs Fares Al Sood, Amandeep Sodhi, Jake Sawatzky and Tatiana Auguste were born in either 2000 or 2001. Although they had different reasons for entering politics, they all shared one common goal – to better represent young Canadians in federal politics.
Sodhi, the MP for Brampton Centre, told The Canadian Press she has had a lifelong passion for politics and started going to Liberal Party events with her father when she was about 11 years old.
Although she said she expected to step into the role of MP “much, much” later in life, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to stand on her home horse at the last election.
“I really wanted to take this opportunity to run and make change in our communities,” Sodhi said, citing housing shortages, affordability, crime and the need to support youth and seniors.
Auguste became deputy for Terrebonne after winning by one vote.
She said she first took part in her local municipality's youth meeting and then worked for MP Emmanuel Dubourg, who represented the Montreal area until last spring. Auguste said the experience motivated her to “be a part of the change” she wants to see.
She said she and her younger colleagues offer a different perspective in a political climate still dominated by boomers and Gen Xers.
“If we paint ourselves into a corner, I don’t think we’ll get very far,” Auguste said. “I believe we need to incorporate youth perspectives into every issue we discuss, and I think we've had a great time doing that so far.
“I feel like we’re starting to make an impact.”
Auguste, who has already sponsored legislation to develop a national flood and drought strategy, said she is grateful to have colleagues in her own age group.
“Having three other MPs who are 25 and under, we can understand what I'm going through and understand how we navigate this space that frankly is theoretically not made for people like us, it's great to have that kind of support from them,” she said.
Four young MPs have formed a liberal “youth caucus” to encourage young people to get involved in politics. Together MPs are committed to tackling issues such as youth mental health, unemployment and the negative impact of AI on young people.
Sodhi said the faction has gained popularity among Liberal MPs, many of whom are interested in mobilizing the youth vote for their own ends.
“When we look at youth especially, we see that sometimes they get a little forgotten,” Sodhi said. “We focus a lot on tariffs and the economy and building our country, but we don't look at it from a youth perspective and how it will impact our youth.
“To be here in this position, amplifying and expressing my concern for them is a really, really powerful feeling.”
Sawatzky, the MP for New Westminster-Burnaby-Maillarville, said his entry into politics was “a little unexpected.”
“I had no intention of going into politics, at least until shortly before the election,” said Sawatzky, who has a background in neuroscience and was pursuing a master's degree in counseling psychology.
A couple of years before the election, Sawatzky volunteered to join the Liberal Party and was told he would be a good candidate. Two weeks before the election, he was asked if he wanted to run.
“I thought this was a great way to make an impact on a much larger scale than I could do as an individual,” said Sawatzky, who is passionate about mental health and addictions policy.
Sawatzky said he sometimes has trouble wrapping his head around the fact that he is a lawmaker.
“You walk in the front doors and sometimes it feels like Hogwarts or something out of a movie,” Sawatzky said. “I am honored to receive this opportunity and I am confident that I will make a positive impact.”
Sawatzky, who leads the youth caucus, said it is important for young people to get involved in politics because it provides real opportunities to make a difference.
“If young people are not involved in politics, the problem is that young people are not represented,” he said.
“Now, of course, you can get older politicians to create youth committees or focus on youth issues, but ultimately I think to have true representation you need elected officials who are actually part of the group for which decisions are being made, in this case young people.”
Al Sood, MP for Mississauga Centre, said he entered politics in 2019 while at university. Al Sood, who also worked as a political staffer, said that after the first vote, a local MP invited him to join the non-partisan youth council, where he worked on issues related to reconciliation and climate change.
Two years before the last federal election, he began mobilizing, traveling from Ottawa to Mississauga every weekend to talk to local residents.
“Youth in the world of politics is what I cited as one of the main reasons why I decided to run and why I continue to be in this space,” Al Sood said. “It demonstrates to young Canadians that political participation has value and that their voices are more than just a single voice—they truly have value in shaping policy and legislation.”
Al Sood said he would like to see “as many young people as possible” entering politics.
“The House of Commons is meant to represent Canada. There are a lot of young people in Canada, and so it's important that they are represented in the House,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2025.
