For my STEP signature project, I had the opportunity to participate in the Canadian Parliament Internship Program in Ottawa, Canada. While staying at the University of Ottawa from May through mid-June, I was an intern in the office of Member of Parliament (MP) Phil McColeman from Brantford, Ontario. Mr. McColeman serves as the Deputy Finance Critic for the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. Working alongside Dennis, the legislative assistant for Mr. McColeman, my daily work consisted of legislative research, preparing for the meetings of the Finance Committee on which Mr. McColeman sat, preparing speeches and questions for Question Period, and contacting federal agencies on behalf of constituents, among other duties. As the only intern in the office, I had the opportunity to gain substantial first-hand experience of the operation of government at the federal level in Canada.
As the only intern in the office, I had the opportunity to work on interesting and important public policy questions, specifically the federal budget. This experience reaffirmed my interest in public policy and public service. I work as a page at the Ohio Senate, so before this internship, I had some experience working in a legislative setting. I expected to be doing common intern tasks, but I quickly found out that this internship would involve substantial and interesting work. I have always been a bit shy when entering a new situation, and this experience definitely made me step out of my comfort zone. However, the experiences I had this summer made the program well worth the effort. Some of the memorable moments for me on the trip were the finance committee meetings, the trip to Quebec, and the meeting of the Committee of the Whole.
As I mentioned, Mr. McColeman sits of the Finance Committee in the House of Commons. This was an interesting time in Canadian politics, as the new Liberal government had just passed and was beginning to implement its first budget. Interning for the opposition Conservative Party, much of my work for the Finance Committee meetings consisted of research on the different budgetary issues coming before the committee and using that research to draft questions for the witnesses who were called to give testimony to the committee. For some meetings, these witnesses even included the Minister of Finance and the Minister of National Revenue. While some of this work was very detailed, it was very insightful into the differences of the budget process in Canada compared to that in the United States. Furthermore, it was very exciting when my research was given to several committee members to view before the committee meetings, and even more exciting when I heard some of the questions I had written actually asked during the meetings. Seeing how the House operated at the committee level furthered my interest in public policy and the political process. Getting to be a part of this process this first-hand at the federal level was an invaluable experience.
One of my favorite experiences over the summer was the trip to Quebec City. Canada has a unique dynamic when it comes to French and English influence. Going back to the country’s colonial history, the province of Quebec has been the hub of French culture. Today, the country recognizes both French and English as official languages. When entering the province of Quebec from Ontario, it can feel like entering a different country. Quebec City sits along the St. Lawrence River and contains a modern downtown along with the historic Old Quebec. Getting to spend the evening in Quebec City, while taking me out of my comfort zone, was an amazing experience. Even though it felt like we were in another country, the people were very friendly and the amount of culture and history that I was able to experience was incredible. Touring the National Assembly of Quebec, walking the Plains of Abraham and the Quebec Citadel, and experiencing Old Quebec’s European-style streets and shops was unforgettable. While there have been historical tensions between Quebec and the rest of Canada over the place of Quebec within the country, seeing how the French culture and influence thrive within Canada was a very memorable experience.
The favorite memory I have of my internship came during my longest day on Parliament Hill. Each year, the official opposition party gets to select two cabinet ministers to testify before the Committee of the Whole House on their department’s main budget estimates for that year. This four hour long meeting takes place on the floor of the House of Commons and consists of rounds of questioning from each of the recognized parties, in this case the Liberal, Conservative, and New Democratic Parties. For this session, the Finance Minister was one of the two selected to speak at Committee of the Whole, so the members of the Finance Committee took the lead during the meeting. Several weeks of work went into planning the questions for the meeting, and much research was done on the Finance Department’s budget estimates. These meetings typically start in the late afternoon, but due to votes that had been delayed from the previous week, this meeting did not start until 9:00 pm. This was a memorable experience for me, as I was able to spend the meeting in the lobby of the House just outside of the House floor. This is where the members’ staff watched as well, and the MPs themselves were often coming and going during the meeting. Just as with the committee meetings, hearing questions that I had helped develop asked during Committee of the Whole was an exciting experience. It was also exciting to experience first-hand and be a part of a major meeting of the Canadian federal government. This meeting did not conclude until just before 1:00 am, and although I was very tired the next morning, this was by far my favorite experience from the summer.
Spending the summer interning on Parliament Hill was an experience I will never forget. I was fortunate enough to be placed in the hard-working office of a hard-working Member of Parliament. Mr. McColeman constantly worked in the best interest of his constituents, and as Deputy Finance Critic, he worked to ensure that the government was responsive and acting responsibly with the taxpayers’ money. Dennis, Mr. McColeman’s legislative aid, showed me the ins and outs of working in a federal legislative office, and seeing how hard he worked on a daily basis motivated me to work just as hard. I have always been a bit shy when stepping into these types of situations that are new to me, but this experience has given me confidence that I have the ability to adapt and work hard when presented with different kinds of challenges. With the Finance Committee meetings, exploring Quebec City, and spending the day on Parliament Hill until the early hours of the morning, the opportunities I had while interning this summer have given me invaluable experience in public policy and public interest work as well as memories that will last a lifetime.
Château Frontenac, Quebec City
Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Centre Block at 1:00 am
Senate Chamber on Parliament Hill