The Forum for Young Canadians was a highly rewarding experience for Yingjie Qian, although the election did sort of throw a wrench in her trip.
Qian was ecstatic to take part in the trip to Ottawa to learn all about how Canada is run; while a dinner with MP Nathan Cullen and a breakfast with the Senate were planned, the election, announced just days before she embarked to Ottawa, cancelled those activities.
But, even without them, the trip was awesome, she said, who encouraged anyone to go in later years.
“During the whole forum we had many speakers and visited many places and had many kinds of different simulations,” Qian said. “We started every day from 7:30 a.m.”
Those simulations included one from Elections Canada, a very timely one, she said, that had all 85 participants take part in a debate representing a different party with a vote to follow. In the preceding speech, an Elections Canada representative spoke of the voting process, including how typically only 60 per cent of Canadians choose to vote, a situation that puzzled Qian.
“Not all countries get to choose,” Qian said, who grew up in China before adopting Canada as her home to prepare her for university, which she plans on attending in the States. “If you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain.”
In another was the students debating Canadian immigration policy in a mock cabinet meeting. There, Qian was the elected Minister of Labour, and in the discussion they were trying to decide how many immigrants should be allowed into Canada each year, complete with the reasoning behind their decision.
Her group chose 200,000 per year because it would allow Canadians to keep their jobs, but also help the overall economic development by bringing in skilled workers from elsewhere.
The First Minister’s simulation was definitely thrilling, she said. In that one, students from each province would decide in their group what was most needed and then start a debate, trying to get the funds for their project, while other provinces are doing the same.
“At one point, I thought they were going to fight,” Qian said. “That one was the most interesting, I think. Everyone took it really seriously.”
She was thrilled to listen on topics that ranged from women in politics, judicial independence, and media and politics.
Experiences included going to Rideau hall (office of the governor general) the parliament buildings, as well as the House of Commons, a place where security isn’t allowed yet because of the forum all participants were not only allowed in, but to sit on the chairs within.
There, they spoke with Peter Milliken, our elected House Speaker. He has spoken to every forum for the past 13 years; he told them this would probably be his last.
“We will be the last students he will speak to,” she said. “He is really quite humourous.”
At night, they could see Parliament Hill, and overall the experience was truly one to treasure, she said, who’s excited to take that knowledge to further fuel her interest in politics.
“You can meet more friends, and talk about what you really care about,” Qian said.