OTTAWA — For the first time in Canadian history, voters have sent four members of Parliament born in the 2000s to the House of Commons, marking a generational milestone and giving Gen Z a direct voice at the federal table.
Elected in the spring federal election, Liberal MPs Fares Al Soud, Amandeep Sodhi, Jake Sawatzky and Tatiana Auguste — all born in 2000 or 2001 — say that just months into their new roles, they already feel they are making an impact. Representing ridings from Ontario to Quebec and British Columbia, the young MPs share a common goal: ensuring the concerns of Canada’s youth are no longer overlooked in national politics.
Amandeep Sodhi, the MP for Brampton Centre, told The Canadian Press that her passion for politics began early. She started attending Liberal Party events with her father when she was just 11 years old. Although she once imagined becoming an MP much later in life, the chance to run in her home riding was one she couldn’t ignore.
“I really wanted to take this opportunity to run to make a change within our communities,” Sodhi said, pointing to housing shortages, affordability, crime, and the need to better support both youth and seniors as issues driving her campaign.
Tatiana Auguste, who won the riding of Terrebonne by a razor-thin margin of a single vote, traced her political roots to a youth caucus in her municipality and later to her work with MP Emmanuel Dubourg. Those experiences, she said, inspired her to be part of shaping the change she wants to see.
In a political landscape still largely dominated by baby boomers and Gen X, Auguste believes younger MPs bring a vital perspective. “I believe that we need to have a youth perspective in every issue that is on the table,” she said, adding that she already feels their presence is starting to make a difference. Auguste has sponsored a bill to establish a national flood and drought strategy and says having peers her own age in Parliament has been a source of strength.
“Having three other members of Parliament that are 25 and under who can understand how we navigate this space — which frankly isn’t designed for people like us — it’s great to have that support,” she said.
Together, the four MPs have launched a Liberal youth caucus aimed at encouraging young Canadians to engage in politics and amplifying issues such as mental health, unemployment and the impact of artificial intelligence on young people. Sodhi said the initiative has gained attention within the party, with many MPs eager to mobilize youth in their ridings.
“Sometimes youth are a little bit forgotten about,” she said. “We talk about tariffs, the economy and building our country, but not always from a youth lens. To be here and amplify their concerns — it’s a very powerful feeling.”
For Jake Sawatzky, MP for New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville, politics wasn’t part of the original plan. With a background in neuroscience, he was preparing to start a master’s degree in counselling psychology when the opportunity arose. After volunteering with the Liberal Party, he was approached just two weeks before the election about running.
“I figured this was a great way to make an impact on a scale much larger than I could as an individual,” said Sawatzky, who is passionate about mental health and addictions policy. Even now, he admits the reality of being an MP can feel surreal.
“You walk into the front doors and it feels like Hogwarts or something out of a movie,” he said. “I’m very honoured to be given this opportunity, and I’m confident I’ll make a positive impact.”
As chair of the youth caucus, Sawatzky stresses that real representation matters. “If no young people run in politics, there’s no youth representation,” he said. “To truly represent young people, you need elected officials who are actually part of that group.”
Fares Al Soud, MP for Mississauga Centre, began his political journey while in university in 2019. After voting for the first time, he joined a non-partisan youth council at the invitation of his local MP, working on issues such as reconciliation and climate change. In the years leading up to the election, he drove every weekend from Ottawa to Mississauga to connect with residents.
“Showing young Canadians that their voices are more than just a vote — that they’re intrinsically valuable in shaping policy — that’s why I ran,” Al Soud said. He hopes to see many more young people step into politics in the years ahead.
“The House of Commons is meant to represent Canada,” he said. “Canada has a lot of young people, and it’s important they be represented there too.”
Eight months into their mandates, Canada’s youngest MPs say they are just getting started — determined to prove that age is no barrier to leadership, and that the voices of the next generation belong at the heart of national decision-making.