Latest news with #ConnorAllen
CBC
07-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
2 teens, 2 different reactions to Canada's election results
⭐️HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️ The Liberal Party of Canada has won the federal election. We reached out to two teens to get their reaction to the win. One is happy that the Liberals' Mark Carney will continue as prime minister. The other hoped the Conservatives' Pierre Poilievre would win. Read on to hear how some of their views actually overlap. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Seventeen-year-old Sarah Morra stayed up until 2 a.m. on election night to find out who Canada's next leader would be. 'I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I was really happy that the Liberals won because I think that's what Canada needs right now,' said the Richmond Hill, Ontario, teen. Although the results haven't been fully counted yet, CBC projected the Liberal win on April 29. Mark Carney wins 2025 election for Liberals, will continue as prime minister Connor Allen, a 14-year-old from Halifax, Nova Scotia, wasn't as excited. He had hoped the Conservatives would win. 'This is the result we got, and we can't be too upset about it. Canadians were talking about wanting change, but maybe they weren't ready for that,' he told CBC Kids News before heading to school on Tuesday. Although Sarah and Connor have different political leanings, it turns out they share similar hopes for the future of Canada. Sarah is proud of the results Sarah said she is non-partisan but that her values tend to align more with the New Democrats (NDP) and Liberals — particularly their approach to social justice issues. Non-partisan means that someone doesn't identify exclusively with a single political party. She's been involved in politics for two years, working with organizations like Youth Leaders in Law Ontario and Vote16, as well as helping out with a Liberal campaign this election. Sarah Morra is the president of Youth Leaders in Law Ontario. She said her interest in politics began with debating social justice issues online and with her friends. (Image submitted by Sarah Morra) Sarah said although she's glad the Liberals won, we 'shouldn't just throw caution to the wind.' 'We've never seen Carney long-term in Canada's politics, so there's still things to be wary about. I want to see if the promises made on the campaign are actually met,' she said. Sarah said she's proud of how Canadians were able to unite, especially because the Conservative Party was so far ahead in public opinion polls just a few months ago. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps down as Liberal party struggles 'I think it shows that Canadians are able to put aside the type of bias that would impede on our ability to know what's best for our country in times of need,' Sarah said. Connor had hoped for a change Connor has been exploring politics by watching news and other sources to get informed. So far, he said, he aligns himself with the Conservative Party, and likes its promises to lower taxes, cut government spending and put more money in Canadians' pockets. Connor Allen said he's the most interested in politics out of all his friends and wants to get more involved moving forward. (Image submitted by Connor Allen) Although Poilievre didn't win his seat, Connor said there was some good news for Conservatives out of this election. 'The Conservatives did increase their seat count, which is a bright side for me, and I'd rather have Mark Carney than [Justin] Trudeau,' he said. 'At least it's different.' Still, Connor wants the Liberal government to prioritize change this time around. 'A lot of people still voted Conservative and the Liberals need to change things up because even the Liberals weren't happy with how Trudeau was running the country.' WATCH — Who might be celebrating Trudeau's resignation? Different positions, shared hopes Despite their different reactions to the election results, Sarah and Connor agreed on some key issues. They both said tariffs were their No. 1 frustration right now, and wanted whoever the new leader would be to tackle the issue head-first. WATCH — Trump's tariffs explained They also said that housing and the cost of living were top of mind for them, especially as young Canadians who will soon have to deal with the costs of post-secondary schooling. Connor said he thinks the new government should focus on strengthening our military, even if that means reducing foreign aid — or the amount of money we give to other countries. Although Sarah said we shouldn't be cutting our foreign aid, she thinks Canada should be thinking more about defence and be 'ready for whatever could happen.' Seeing value in the other side Both Sarah and Connor also had nice things to say about the other side. 'I like the left's progressive mindset,' Connor said. 'The world is always going to be changing and I think you need to prepare for that, working with change rather than against it.' Sarah said she liked how the Conservatives ran on uniting Canadians and the strength they showed in standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. She said being able to see this strength in another party is why she's non-partisan. 'I think hyper-partisanship only divides us Canadians further, and it's important moving forward to be able to see what each party brings to the table.'
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Poet grateful mum turned him over to police at 16
Wales' former children's laureate says he is grateful his mum called the police on him at the age of 16 after he attacked her. Connor Allen is a poet, writer and actor and was Children's Laureate Wales from 2021 to 2023, but struggled during his teenage years. He pleaded guilty to assault, battery and grievous bodily harm in court but was given a second chance after an intervention by those closest to him. Connor has since turned his life around and is trying to inspire the next generation. Connor, who was raised on a council estate in Newport, said the anger had been simmering during his teenage years. His dad was absent from his life and as a mixed-race teenager he often struggled to fit in. "It was just my mum, a single mum, white mum, and my father is black Jamaican. So that absence for me growing up without a father but also without that 'blackness'," he said. He started getting in trouble with the police and it soon came to a head when he lashed out at his mum. "We were arguing and shouting. My anger erupted on my mum. Obviously there's instant regret, but the action has already been done," he said. Looking back, Connor is full of admiration for her making that decision. "She didn't know what was going to happen to me when the police took me. "But to have that courage to actually say 'something needs to happen because my son is off the rails,' I always look back at that courage." Now 32, he still clearly remembers sitting in the courtroom facing his mum. "Even though she was going through all that hurt she still pleaded with the judge," he said. His teachers at Lliswerry Comprehensive School had also seen his potential. Connor said he feels blessed that they fought for him to have a second chance. He said: "My mum, the teachers, they wrote a letter to the judge and asked for a suspended sentence. I look back at that period and think if it wasn't for the people who believed in me where would I have been?" Connor said it was "empowering" to have that support despite admitting what he did that night was "horrific". "To go through all of that and it culminating in you lashing out to have people at your lowest moment they still believe in you... that for me was huge," he said. His love of writing came from reading books that his mum would buy him as a child. In particular, the Harry Potter series which allowed him to go into different worlds other than his own. He also took inspiration from the stories told in grime and rap music. That led him to write The Making of a Monster, a grime-theatre mash-up about growing up, working out his place in the world and the danger of a life spiralling out of control. Connor is currently writing a sequel Forgiveness of a Monster about finding forgiveness for himself, and his absent father. "I always believe in second chances, If I can give that give of empowerment and belief then who knows what they can go on and achieve," he said. You can hear Connor's interview on Books that Made Me with Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales at 18:30 GMT on Friday and then on Sounds 'Photography completely turned my life around' Writing saved my life, says rapper-poet Six poems the world still talks about
BBC News
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ex-Children's Laureate Wales Connor Allen grateful mum called police on him
Wales' former children's laureate says he is grateful his mum called the police on him at the age of 16 after he attacked her. Connor Allen is a poet, writer and actor and was Children's Laureate Wales from 2021 to 2023, but struggled during his teenage years. He pleaded guilty to assault, battery and grievous bodily harm in court but was given a second chance after an intervention by those closest to has since turned his life around and is trying to inspire the next generation. Connor, who was raised on a council estate in Newport, said the anger had been simmering during his teenage dad was absent from his life and as a mixed-race teenager he often struggled to fit in."It was just my mum, a single mum, white mum, and my father is black Jamaican. So that absence for me growing up without a father but also without that 'blackness'," he started getting in trouble with the police and it soon came to a head when he lashed out at his mum."We were arguing and shouting. My anger erupted on my mum. Obviously there's instant regret, but the action has already been done," he back, Connor is full of admiration for her making that decision."She didn't know what was going to happen to me when the police took me. "But to have that courage to actually say 'something needs to happen because my son is off the rails,' I always look back at that courage." Now 32, he still clearly remembers sitting in the courtroom facing his mum."Even though she was going through all that hurt she still pleaded with the judge," he said. His teachers at Lliswerry Comprehensive School had also seen his potential. Connor said he feels blessed that they fought for him to have a second said: "My mum, the teachers, they wrote a letter to the judge and asked for a suspended sentence. I look back at that period and think if it wasn't for the people who believed in me where would I have been?"Connor said it was "empowering" to have that support despite admitting what he did that night was "horrific"."To go through all of that and it culminating in you lashing out to have people at your lowest moment they still believe in you... that for me was huge," he said. His love of writing came from reading books that his mum would buy him as a particular, the Harry Potter series which allowed him to go into different worlds other than his also took inspiration from the stories told in grime and rap led him to write The Making of a Monster, a grime-theatre mash-up about growing up, working out his place in the world and the danger of a life spiralling out of control. Connor is currently writing a sequel Forgiveness of a Monster about finding forgiveness for himself, and his absent father."I always believe in second chances, If I can give that give of empowerment and belief then who knows what they can go on and achieve," he said. You can hear Connor's interview on Books that Made Me with Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales at 18:30 GMT on Friday and then on Sounds
