Meeting a new generation of leaders
THIS time of year always fills me with hope and optimism. Yes, ringing in the new year does have that effect sometime, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Youth Parliament Manitoba, and its five-day takeover of the Manitoba legislature, is what widens my smile and fills me with a bright outlook for the future more than any other new year’s tradition.
Every year that I held office, I had the pleasure of meeting with the youth representatives during the Christmas break, listening to their mock Parliament, and sitting in the hot seat as these astute individuals peppered me with questions. This year was no different, except that I was invited back as a “retired” MLA and on a panel with other retirees, including Greg Selinger, Peter Bjornson and Greg Dewar.
Instead of being in one of the committee rooms as was customary when I attended with the PC caucus, as a former MLA, I was invited to join the youth in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. Attending their session last week marked the first time I had ever entered the chamber without holding the title as a cabinet minister, and as I gazed out at all the students that filled every seat in the chamber, I had more time to ponder the future instead of considering the next hardball question coming my way. Seeing what the future could hold in the faces of these young individuals offered a refreshing glimpse, telling me that we would be in good shape as a society once these young leaders are at the helm.
Just the mere fact that these 80-plus students all chose to forgo a week’s vacation to spend their time participating in a mock government before heading back to class is remarkable. As the longest consecutively running youth parliament in Canada, these students with Manitoba Youth Parliament used their time in office to draft mock private members’ bills and government legislation before vigorously debating their ideas amongst their peers. In electing a speaker, appointing a cabinet and an opposition, and choosing a premier, they also become familiar with the democratic process, which helps give further rise and definition to their hopes and dreams of becoming politicians and leaders themselves one day.
Every desk in the Manitoba Legislature was filled, but unlike the usual course of business when the chamber is occupied with elected representatives, these young adults gave rapt attention to the speakers asking questions, and then careful attention to the answers provided. It was a refreshing experience, unlike any question period I’d ever witnessed or participated in before.
What’s more, the representation in the chamber was incredibly diverse. Women and gender-diverse individuals made up at least half, if not more, of the representatives in this youth parliament, and people from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, and geographical locations throughout the province were present.
In contrast, sitting on the panel of retired MLAs this year, I found myself the lone woman next to three male colleagues, offering a clear demonstration of typical representation of the past where fewer than one out of four elected officials has been female.
For example, when I got elected in 2016, I was the 60th woman to hold office as an MLA in the province’s history, in comparison to more than 700 men who have occupied the chamber since Manitoba joined the confederation. Historically, politics has been, largely, a boys’ club. And while we can all appreciate the efforts of many hard-working, dignified men who have helped shape our province, it goes without saying that having an equal number of women involved in the decision-making process when it comes to creating policy and laws is imperative to building a fairer society.
Much work is being done to create that fair society, including the outstanding efforts of Equal Voice, a nonpartisan group working to ensure equal representation in all legislatures across Canada and in the House of Commons. If Manitoba’s Youth Parliament, where women outnumbered the men, is any indication, it’s fair to say the message is finally getting through.
An accelerated march toward diversity and equal representation is afoot, and that alone offers plenty of reason for hope and optimism.
I personally can’t wait to meet the next generation of leaders and politicians we can expect to see in the coming years.
Rochelle Squires is a recovering politician after serving 7 1/2 years in the Manitoba legislature. She is a political and social commentator whose column appears Tuesdays.
