Liberals Need to Rebrand in the Era of Authenticity

Liberal politicians must address young voters' demands for direct and authentic leadership.

Canada’s recent political landscape has shown that the times are changing for Canadian leadership and foreign relations. Among these changes is a growing demand for authenticity in politics from newly minted young adult voters, participating in national politics and elections for the first time. 

Youth voter trends from the recent U.S. Presidential Election depict this phenomenon. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) reported that in the 2024 U.S. election, young voters (aged 18-29) preferred Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by 4 points, with 51% supporting her and 47% opting for Republican candidate Donald Trump. This is a marked increase from 2020, where Trump only won 36% of the support of young voters.. Many young voters, especially those facing financial instability, were drawn to Republican messaging on these issues. 

Although 24% of young voters disliked all options in the 2024 election and youth voter turnout dropped from 55% to 42% between 2020 and 2024, the CIRCLE report suggests that young voters, who have historically leaned Democratic, are increasingly drawn to Trump’s straightforwardness. No matter how poorly delivered, offensive, and riddled with misinformation, Trump’s ability to “tell it like it is” appeals to many young voters’ desire for clarity and directness in political discourse. This shift challenges assumptions about youth political alignment, illustrating that frustration with the establishment can lead some to support conservative leaders instead of progressive ones.

With Canadian politics typically following the same trajectory as politics in the United States,   these results have many concerned with how the upcoming federal election in Canada will play out. A 2025 Abacus poll suggests that the Conservatives hold a lead with 39% support nationally, followed closely by the Liberals at 36%, while the NDP trails with 12%. 

“[The Liberal Party] knows that [Trump] communicates in a way that stirs strong emotion. For us, it’s to be the adult in the room—communicate calmly and clearly to Canadians and reassure them that we will protect them,” said Myah Tomasi, President of the Young Liberals of Canada Ontario. 

She notes that the U.S. is transitioning from a Democratic to a Republican leadership, which can be intimidating for Canadians, but highlights how Canada’s Liberal Party upheld its liberal values while working alongside Donald Trump during his first term.  

“Trump has shown again and again with his press conference with Zelensky [on Feb. 28, 2025] that professionalism isn’t his thing,” said Robert Goodman, a political theorist and assistant professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.

According to Goodman, the media landscape has evolved significantly over the last 10 years, especially with the rise of social media. Despite being from an older generation, Trump has remained prominent on social media, particularly on Twitter. 

There’s an expectation that how a politician talks to people in spaces like Instagram or TikTok will differ from a presidential speech that goes on network TV.

“People think about authenticity, and it goes along with risk-taking. You see a politician speaking in a way that does not seem pre-packaged or premeditated and that seems like they’re opening themselves up to the possibilities of things could go really bad for them—that they could make a fool of themselves,” unpacked Goodman.

Tomasi explains that authenticity is simple. It’s being truthful, no matter who you are talking to. “We now look for that through journalism, politics, and leadership. It’s not so much about ‘what are our policies’ but also ‘who are our [politicians]?’” she said. 

According to Tomasi, in messaging from the Liberal Party and its new leader, Mark Carney, it’s important to be honest with Canadians. This shift in leadership highlights a broader trend among the Liberals, where transparency and direct communication are becoming central to their approach.

Julia Brown, who ran for MPP for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas in Ontario’s recent provincial election in February, concurs, “In the most recent Liberal leadership, Mark Carney was the most direct. A lot of [people from the Liberal Party] gravitated toward that [allowing him to be elected as Prime Minister].” 

According to Brown, there is a perception of Trump as being direct or emotional. As these are both fallible human traits, they are associated with the notion of having a conversation with a friend and talking about political views in a more casual context. “Directness, bluntness, emotions, all that jazz comes out in [conversations with Trump]. That is what feels authentic,” states Brown. 

Politicians, according to Goodman, tend to be risk-averse in their communication because they don't want to say something wrong, make a mistake, or cause controversy. This puts them at a disadvantage to someone like Trump, who portrays himself as an outsider who "tells it like it is" and lacks a sense of shame.

Brown shares that being a young candidate allowed people to view her as passionate and ‘bring a fight’ sort of energy. She explains, “When [people] hear all these polished takes…we tend to disassociate, especially the next generation.”

Brown describes herself as a direct person and noted that when she went to people’s doors for her campaign and gave her honest opinions on topics, people were more receptive to her as they saw sincerity in her directness. 

“I came up with youth politics, we usually bring influential policies with us. For example, Young Liberals [of Canada] were the ones who introduced policies to legalize weed and legalize same-sex marriage in [Canada],” said Brown.

Despite liberal policies dedicated to appealing to youth voters, frustration towards the Liberal Party has been expressed nationwide by citizens to the point that Justin Trudeau was forced out of being Prime Minister.

Goodman said, “[Trudeau’s] popularity was really dropping with a lot of voters, especially young voters, and a lot of that has to do with the frustration of the cost of housing and the cost of living in general.”

According to Goodman, housing supply is a real issue. Housing has become far too expensive and too many regulatory barriers prevent dense developments. Gone are the days when housing was affordable for young people and could be used as an asset constantly appreciating in value to facilitate retirement. 

With these ongoing frustrations targeted toward the Liberal Party, Tomasi highlights that policies that are now commonplace rights came from the Young Liberals of Canada, including certain affordable housing policies. 

Brown highlights a big misconception people have about the Liberal Party is that it is  solely filled with elites, “I ran [for MPP] and I am from the working class and a proud working class [citizen].” A challenge Brown faces now and then is people assuming she is an upper-class elite citizen, “Show me how I am an elite,” she jokes.

This disconnect between perception and reality is something Brown stresses. Personal engagement in politics is essential for young people to have a say in shaping the future. By actively participating, they can ensure their values and priorities are represented, driving meaningful change in the country’s leadership and policies.

“Politics is personal to everybody…if Donald Trump has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be engaged in our politics so that we can choose what we want to see in the country,” adds Tomasi. 

Young people can do their part by participating in their country’s politics. As for political parties, there is one positive page to take from the Trump playbook: authenticity trumps phoniness. 

In a very Trump-like fashion, leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre recently unveiled a plan to combat the “Liberal housing crisis.” His plan proposed the removal of the federal sales tax on all homes, aiming to make housing more accessible for Canadians. Poilievre’s bluntness in addressing specific concerns and maintaining this energy on his social media has shown a consistent pattern of what young people consider authentic.

Celebrity endorsements and embracing memes and Internet culture aren’t enough. If Liberals hope to win the youth vote in the upcoming election, they need to get on board the authenticity train.

Photos: Jahna Bird. Graphics: Tara Khoo. Set Design: Daisy Woelfling