Call it smart, call it a stunt, it’s what everyone in Britain is talking about — and what we should be talking about in Canada.

If Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party wins his national election on July 4, all 18-year-olds in the U.K, will be required to complete a year of national service, either military or civilian. Thirty thousand teens would serve in the military and the rest would work for charities and community services. The plan, costing 2.5 billion pounds annually, is intended to foster “a society where people mix with people outside their own communities, mix with people from different backgrounds, different religions, different income levels.”