Recent grads experience Legislature first-hand

Every September, 10 recent graduates from across Canada are given the opportunity to learn about the provincial Parliament from within, thanks to the Canadian Political Science Association's Ontario Legislature Internship Program.

Focusing on the role of the backbench Member within the Legislative Assembly, the non-partisan internship program provides Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP's) with extra staff support and helps interns develop a multitude of valuable skills.

Interns spend five months at Queens Park with a Member in Opposition and five months with a Member in Government, and assist in duties that include speech writing, preparing Members for Question Period, policy research and committee and constituency work. Through hands-on work such as this, interns gain practical experience and become intimately familiar with all aspects of the legislative process.

The program's director, McMaster's Henry Jacek, says the program offers interns opportunities like few others. “Some people say it's not what you know, but who you know that will get you ahead in life,” says Jacek. “This program gives you the opportunity to hone your skills, as well as plenty of networking opportunities.”

For their part, Ontario MPPs are more than happy to welcome interns into their offices, but according to Jacek, supply just can't meet demand. Although funding was secured to expand the program from eight to ten positions this year, half of the Members requesting interns were turned down, a testament to the programs continued popularity within the Legislature.

The internship is also popular with students, who jump at the opportunity to rub shoulders with former and current premiers, cabinet ministers, business professionals, and attorneys general, among others. Not only do interns have the chance to network with these powerful individuals, but they also have the chance to compare the legislative system in Ontario with those found elsewhere, with trips to out-of-province capitals, the legislative assemblies of American states, and the highlight of the year, a trek to the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the United Kingdom's Parliament.
Interns are selected from across Canada for the program, which begins in September and lasts for 10 months. A stipend of $19,000, plus an extra $1,000 upon submission of a research paper on an aspect of the legislative process, is included as part of the internship. Prospective interns should have a demonstrated interest in and knowledge of the legislative process, though a formal background in political science is not required.

For more information, check out the Ontario Legislature Internship Program's web site at http://www.olip.ontla.on.ca