Thank you, both of you.
Mr. Fraser, I turn to you.
Mr. Fraser, I'm a big fan of the student vote program. I think it's fantastic. I've been elected now since 2004 and certainly in the last election it was really good, not just because I won, but because I think it actually engaged citizens. I can even admit that my son campaigned for another party, but that's beside the point.
It says in your submission, “Teacher satisfaction was very high, with 95% of participating teachers saying they would very likely participate in the program in the future.” Something else I found very important was, “Over 60% of parents reported an increase in their own political interest and knowledge as a result of their child's participation in the program.”
The way the program works is we're not talking about just student elections; these are actual parties with the actual candidates who run in the federal elections running parallel. Because of the kids' involvement, the parents were also inspired to be involved as well. So there's a heightened inspiration to be involved in this and now it's gone.
Would you care to comment?