Tuesday, 20 October 2015

And The Winner Is….

#DrumRollPlease!

The results of our #StudentVote have been calculated and students in my high school who participated made their choice clear…

Let me break down our votes:

2 classes participated. 56 students officially voted in both French and English. Results are as follows: 

Liberal: 43%                     (24 votes for Mary Jean McFall) 
Conservative: 39%         (22 votes for Gord Brown - Incumbent) 
NDP: 9%                            (5 votes for Margaret Andrade)
Green Party: 9%              (5 votes for Lorraine Rekmans) 


How did that compare to the our Riding's official election results? 


Conservative: 47%       (26,734 for Gord Brown - Incumbent) 
Liberal: 41%                   (22,888 for Mary Jean McFall)
NDP: 8%                          (4,722 for Margaret Andrade) 
Green Party: 4%             (2,090 for Lorraine Rekmans) 


How about a visual comparison? 



Am I surprised about the results of our StudentVote election? A little. 

We live in a fairly conservative area (as demonstrated by the fact that our local Conservative candidate won the election in our Riding). This means that many of the students in my class have parents or family members who voted for the Conservative party. One would think that the students would echo the opinions of their family members and want to vote Conservative as well. 

That said, I understand from our many in-class (and out of class) discussions that young and future voters really relate to Justin Trudeau because he is young and charismatic. Also, many young people seem to identify with the Liberal party because it falls in the centre of the political spectrum - it's not really Right Wing or Left Wing so it's easier to align with them. 

Being a Student Ambassador for StudentVote was such an incredible learning experience. I really took my role and responsibilities seriously and enjoyed being part of the conversations about young voters, politics, the parties, and this election! 


Want to learn more about how Canada voted? 
Want to see the results in your Riding? 
Check out: http://www.ctvnews.ca/electionresults






Thursday, 15 October 2015

Hey, Politicians… Can You Hear Us?

#StudentVote

I wanted to get a better understanding of how my classmates and fellow students feel about the party leaders, the main issues, and the campaign, so today in class I facilitated a group discussion.  Here are some of the responses that my peers shared:

"I am voting for the Conservative party because I believe Stephen Harper is experienced, has done a wonderful job representing our country and has a great platform to stabilize Canada's economy" - Noah

"In this election, the issues I feel are important are: big trade, helping people (the old, the poor, the immigrants), protecting the environment, and new jobs. This is politics, not a show. I am voting for the Green Party because they think for the whole world and their environment" - Lutcia 

"I want a leader who wants to protect our Canadian heritage, encourages Canadian pride, and wants the best four our country as a whole rather than just the government. Someone who has political experience. Someone who is educated and not ignorant to crucial events not just in our country, but in our world. Picking what party you want is equivalent to picking what kind of food you would least like to eat" - Hanna

"The issue I feel is most important in this campaign is the decrease in the amount of children a child care worker can have in their home with registered and unregistered daycare." - Karlee

"I think cheaper education is the most important issue because everyone deserves an education, but not everyone has the money to pay for it." - Leah

"I'm focused on the major issues: education funding, maintaining good healthcare, having military only involved when needed" - Connor

"In my opinion, harsh changes that don't solve the original problem are the most important issue - for example, the legalization of marijuana because it causes more and more social/community based conflicts"  -Ashton

"I'm voting Liberal because they want to lower taxes and help the middle class more" -Briana

"The most important election issues are the middle class tax breaks and not enough people voting." -Alex

"A leader needs to be responsible, empathetic, confident and comfortable with making difficult decisions. I want the focus to be on education because that's what affects me the most in my life right now" - Liz

Thanks to my class for the great discussion and ideas! Let's hope our leaders hear our VOICES and make some positive changes!

Ready, Set, Vote!

Student vote day!

I love the idea of student vote. Students take part in a mock election where we vote for the actual candidates in our riding. Our vote results can then be compared to the actual vote results. Awesome, right? It really provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their interest in the political system, go through the voting process (so hopefully it will become something they will want to continue doing once they reach voting age) and have their voices heard about the important issues facing our country.

The results of the Student Vote elections send a strong and clear message about #futurevoters : we want our voices heard!

And we appreciate the opportunity to….

That's right! We're #futurevoters!

So let me share some details about Student Vote at my school.

There are four candidates in my riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousands Islands-Rideau Lakes:

1. Margaret Andrade (NDP) 

2. Gord Brown (PC - Incumbent) 

3. Mary-Jean McFall (Liberal) 

4. Lorraine Rekmans (Green Party) 

I had the opportunity to talk with 3 of them about engaging young voters, and their party platforms. You can read some of the interview responses in my last blog post. 

After discussions about party platforms, reviews of interesting articles related to political issues and the election campaign, students lined up to cast their ballots. 

An official Student Vote ballot!


 Making a choice! 


 Deciding our future! 

 I want to share with you a little about how some of my classmates felt about the importance of Student Vote, and their experience voting for the first time.




Student Vote - ERIN
Erin thinks the biggest issue in this campaign is the Syrian refugee crisis. 
She based her vote on the party she felt most aligned with her beliefs about this issue. 




Student Vote - BRIANA
Briana voted for the Liberal party because she agrees with lowering taxes for the middle class. 




Student Vote - DANIELLE
Danielle thinks Student Vote is important because it shows kids that it's not difficult to get up and go vote, and it develops an important habit…. voting! 





I'm looking forward to comparing our election results with the official election results next week! I wonder how closely our votes will mirror how the rest of Canada votes?




#StudentVote #FutureVoters #HavingOurSay #OURcanada



 Please check out my TWITTER @legislativpeyge to learn more about my experience with the Student vote campaign!




Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Student Ambassador: Student Vote!

#Futurevoter

I have most recently been appointed as Student Ambassador as part of Ontario’s Student Vote program and I’m working at helping to educate students in my Riding about the election and political process.

As part of my mandate, I wanted to connect with local candidates to get their feedback about young voters. 

I reached out to the candidates in my Riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousands Islands-Rideau Lakes:

1. Margaret Andrade (NDP) 

2. Gord Brown (PC - Incumbent) 

3. Mary-Jean McFall (Liberal) 

4. Lorraine Rekmans (Green Party) 


So far, I've received responses from Ms. RekmansMr. Brown and Ms. Andrade 

I've posted my questions and the candidates responses in corresponding party colours below: 



1. “How are you using your campaign to connect with young and future voters?”


"We have been actively reaching out to young voters and encouraging them to get registered.

I have an appointment to get into St. Lawrence College (Brockville) on Friday to talk to the students.  

Honestly, it took some convincing to get into the college. I was prepared to sit in the parking lot with my Green Mobile and try to talk to students as they were coming to and from the college! I was ready to go rogue & park on the street!

I think these are unusual times and that we have to reach out every chance we get to the young voters. I say that because I believe this is a definitive election. Almost half of our Riding’s population is 14 years and under. In 4 years that population will be 19. If we don’t get things right in this election, we will have failed that population. "

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"I would like to talk about what I have been doing for the past 11 years and tie it in with your question. I do have a number of young people involved in my current campaign, but it’s important to mention that over the last 11 years, I have spoken to 5 or 6 local schools a year. I will go into the schools where there are Civic programs where politicians come in and talk to the students.

I actually got interested in politics because a former MPP for Leeds Grenville named James Auld came and spoke to my class once and that got me interested in politics, so whenver I go to these classes I think – there could be a future politician here in the room! Every time a school calls me and asks me to come, I do that.

In addition to that, there is a group in Brockville called Girls Inc. of Leeds Grenville, that has a Girls in Government program (where a group of young girls go to Queen’s Park to learn about provincial government. Afterward, they came to Ottawa and I gave them a tour of Parliament Hill and brought them into my office where I introduced them to some female Cabinet Ministers: Kellie Leitch, Candice Bergen, Lisa Raitt, as well as other women who work on Parliament Hill so that I could show these young ladies that there are other opportunities in politics as well as serving as an elected official. It was important to let them see that being involved in government and politics opens all kinds of doors.  

Those are a couple of things I’ve done to get people engaged during my time in Parliament. 

I got involved when I was about 14 years old, and I am 55 now and I am still involved in politics! I served a couple of terms in Municipal Politics before I got into Parliament. So I’m always encouraging young people to get involved. "
*********************************************************************************


"Before I started this campaign, I’d never been on Twitter or Facebook. I have a 17 year old son who has become my social media director. He has taught me about Twitter and Facebook. I’ve also had the opportunity to go to St. Lawrence College. I was able to speak to a lot of students there about our platform. I’ve also been invited to go to a middle school in Front of Young to speak with the kids who are doing a mock election there. I guess because my son is in grade 12,  and my daughter is 25 years old, I’m more tuned into what are youth are interested in. Any opportunity I get,  I'm talking to their friends. I also make a point at fairs or festivals, local events to speak with the youth to find out what they are thinking, what they need to vote, what questions they need answered. It’s been a big focus for me. But mostly, it’s been through Twitter and Facebook."


2.  "What are you doing to help young, as well as future voters understand your platform, the issues, and the importance of voting?”



"I am trying to Tweet. I am using Facebook too. We are doing a lot of stuff on social media. Whenever I do a TV or radio interview, I post the link so people can watch the video or listen to the broadcast. We rely a lot on social media. We use that as a way to connect.

I also have a big sticker on my van that says “Like” me on Facebook! I try to publish short snippets about the platform & where we stand on important issues online too. " 

*********************************************************************************

"Just today we did an event where all candidates visited the Brockville Library. There were a number of young people there. It was interesting because they got to sit with all 4 candidates in our riding and hear what the platforms are about. In my case, I got to tell them what the job is all about because I am the only 1 of the 4 that knows what the job is in terms of how you use your time.
 We do have a number of young people involved in our campaign now including my 3 ½  year old and my oldest son who is almost 15 and is in grade 10. He has been out campaigning for me, and my 3.5 year old has been a real hit at the doors!"


*********************************************************************************

"We can send out all these Twitter notes about “go find out about our party”, but I really like to talk to people face to face. When I had that opportunity at St. Lawrence Collge it was really great because a lot of the youth didn’t know about the NDP healthcare platform. A lot of students there are studying to be nurses  - that gave me an opportunity to dig down into what some of our platforms are with the young people.  
If you don’t make what your party is relevant to someone, they won’t be interested in following you. Or in voting for you. You have to talk!   
My husband is a master electrian. Many kids who come in as apprentices, I talk to them. It’s a matter of speaking to people and finding out what’s important to them. Many of the youth I talked to weren’t aware of a lot of the issues that were going to impact them. That’s what I spent a lot of time doing – face to face is most of what it has been. And taking the time to not just give an answer that is a platitude, but to give them details and show them “this is what is going to impact you in 4 years time when you graduate”.   We can all have these slogans, but if the kids can’t understand that this is how it will impact your life down the road, then they wont be interested, they won’t be involved.  
Because I have kids in that age range, it’s been easier for me to communicate with a lot of the kids.  It’s actually been a lot of fun!    



3. “What do you think is the major issue/concern for young and future voters in our Riding right now – what are you hearing from youth in our riding?"


I’m hearing a lot of things. I would say – again, I’m defining youth as anyone under the age of 30. We are hearing that they are loaded with student debt, they can’t afford tuition, they are struggling to find jobs. Most graduating without employment opportunities waiting fo them. They are underemployed. They are working part time jobs with minimum wage … sometimes they are working 2 part time min wage jobs. The hope for better quality of life is eluding them every day. So I see a lot of stress. Other issue is cynicism about the electoral system. Youth are talking that politicians don’t listen to them and don’t care. What their issues are. They are checking out. They are abandoning their right to vote. A lot of that has to do with the first past the post system. It disullusions a lot of people.
 The green party cares! We keep saying we are the party of the future. WE have youth as a focus because it is an investment in the future.

Please let us know how the Green Party does in the Student Vote election!

*********************************************************************************

I think it’s the same issue for young people as it is for everyone else .. that’s jobs and the economy. I know future voters won’t be all that concerned at this point about whether or not they will have employment opportunity in our area, but I think that is the issue going forward: to have good jobs and good opportunities here in Leeds & Grenville. That’s my priority as the MP: to bring money into our area through the Federal Government, to work on infrastructure and support economic development... and hopefully that will spur private sector investment which will create those jobs!
 Those are the key things for young people – I believe, it’s the jobs and the economy.  Many young people would like to stay here – they don't necessarily want to go off elsewhere to find jobs.

*********************************************************************************

We have a company in Brockville who started the company in their garage. They just moved into an empty manufacturing plant in our riding and they have started to hire young graduates right across the country to come and live in Brockville. It’s a global company, they have now moved into a second factory. It’s doing well. That’s the kind of thing we want – innovation, research and development, high tech. There are so many things we can bring to Leeds & Grenville. I would like to see the companies spread out throughout the riding so that all of the different towns and hamlets and villages have a benefit. Those towns & villages start filling up and we can find it easier to take care of our seniors because we have a better tax base.
 
The economy is really the bottom line.  You have to give people dignity so they can have a job and take care of their families, and take care of themselves. If you don’t have that, then you have a large sense of hopelessness and apathy sets in. That’s not what we want. We are a strong country –we are known throughout the world for our innovation – our scientists. That’s where we need to get back to. I’m very passionate about this!"
"Absolutely the big thing is jobs – the economy. Unfortunately, it’s hitting every age group but most particularly, our youth. A lot of families have lost their jobs; we’ve lost 20,000 jobs in our riding. Good paying jobs. A lot of those parents are now having to work 2 or 3 part time jobs. Our seniors are having to work part time jobs just to hold it all together. That means our youth aren’t able to get that first part time job and start to get work experience, or save for their education and start planning their life. Right off the bat, everyone is suffering and it’s rolling down the hill. Unfortunately the youth are at the bottom of the hill and they are getting slammed.  
For me, a lot of it is the economy and education which is important, but also: you have that education, what will happen after? We believe that small and medium sized companies are going to turn this country around. It means going to those small and medium sized companies and inviting them to move to Leeds and Grenville so that our kids have a future to look at.

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I would like to THANK these candidates for taking the time to talk with me about this important topic. I really hope that I will have an opportunity to connect with the other candidate in my Riding to get her take on our #futurevoter campaign! 


Stay up to date on my Student Vote activities by checking out my Twitter Page @legislativpeyge


To learn more about the candidates in my Riding, visit their websites by clicking on their names below: 







Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Graduation Day!

We had our mock debate today and then it was time for our Graduation Ceremony. 

We all sat in chairs in the ping pong room (I got to help move the table out of the way!) and Mrs. Tedford and Paula stood at the front of the room with a stack of certificates. They called us up in alphabetical order one at a time to be given our certificates. We had been practicing our "BUSINESS HANDSHAKES" (not a flabby, light handshake, but a proper firm handshake that means business!) for just this occasion! We shook hands and they congratulated each of us for graduating from the program. 

One of the Page girls brought an ice cream cake to celebrate. It was yummy!

We were given special memory packages that have CDs with photos from our time here. The package also has our name badges and pins that we wore on our uniforms, special Trillium and Coat of Arms pins too! But the neatest thing in it is the special certificate that is signed by the Speaker and is in a pretty frame with a photo of our Page group with the Speaker. It's so special. I'm glad I have these memories to take home with me to remind me of my time here. 

Afterward we watched a slideshow of all our photos from our time together. 

It was a really special day. 

I can't believe that tomorrow is my last day here. I really don't want it to end. I don't want to go home! I love being a PEYge and I'm going to miss all of my new friends so much. I'm also going to miss doing my job in the Chamber. It was so much fun here. 

---PeyThePEYge

PS -- I got a special flower that was "hand picked just for me" from MPP Todd Smith. It was a Cancer flower pin that he gave to me after I held the door open for him. So nice! :) 

Thursday, 10 October 2013

All Good Things Must Come To An End

Today was my last day. 

The Speaker stood in the Chamber and asked all of the MPPs to join him in thanking the Pages for our dutiful service. Everyone stood and clapped. It felt pretty awesome.

After our day was done, we went to the Page quarters. I stayed an hour after I was dismissed to spend time with all of the Pages and say goodbye to those who were staying later in the Chamber. 

There were lots of hugs and everyone promised to stay in touch. 

This was such a good learning experience to find out about my government and how things are done in the Assembly. I met so many people from different parts of the province. I made some amazing friends. I'm really proud of how much I've grown since I came here. I feel so much more confident doing things like talking to adults or asking questions. Living in Toronto was a big learning experience too because urban life is very different than living in my little village. I took subways and streetcars and tried food I hadn't tried before. I stayed in an apartment 25 floors up and took an elevator every day! I'm still Peyton but I feel so much older and more mature. I also feel inspired to keep finding ways to make change in my community and the world around me. 

I can't believe this experience is over. I feel so lucky to have been chosen to participate in this life changing program. I feel so lucky to have been able to be here for 5 weeks and to see SO much happen (so many bills passed). 

Thanks to everyone who helped me and supported me in being here. 

---PeyThePEYge

PS: MPP Colle came to the PQ to give me some special pins to share with my friends and family. 

PPS: MPP Clark is going to give me a bunch of pin souvenirs to bring back to my class. It's going to be very special to bring something back to share with them.


Wednesday, 9 October 2013

The Great Debate!

Today was a very exciting day!

My Page class has been working on a project for the last few days that culminated today in a MOCK DEBATE!

Remember when I said my class divided into a mock government and that I was the chief government whip for the Liberal party? Well, we had to debate a bill presented by one of the Page PCs (the Leader of the mock Opposition) about expanding our trauma centres and allowing people living in Ontario to use OHIP to get medical treatment in the USA (because some Ontario towns are on the border to the USA).

Unfortunately there were 5 school groups touring the Assembly today so we couldn't visit the original chamber room for our debate, we had to do it in our classroom BUT

I got to be the acting Sargeant-At-Arms!!!

I got to wear a jacket with coattails, a bi-corn hat (like a tri-corn hat but only with 2 points), and I got to carry a sword!!! (Good thing it was plastic because I'm a little clumsy and it wouldn't have been good to impale a fellow Page!!!!) 

Two of our Page MPPs were having lunch in the Parliamentary Dining Room with their MPPs so I got to parade through the building to the dining room to pick up the Pages while I was dressed as the Sargeant-At-Arms. One of the Constables even stood at attention when I walked past!!!!!!! FUNNY!!!

Then it was time to get down to business. 

The great debate!

Here was my argument against the PC bill: 



Mr. Speaker, 

The Leader of the Opposition has some grand ideas. 

Why not have out of country medical expenses covered by OHIP? 

Sounds good! While we're at it, why not pack up all of our nurses and doctors and move them to the USA? Why not get rid of Orange and hire American planes to fly our patients around? Why build hospitals here when we can just send everyone to the States? 

Are these outrageous statements, Mr. Speaker? Absolutely! But no more outrageous than suggesting we send OUR taxpayers' money to another country to let THEM decide what is the best healthcare for OUR Ontario citizens! To help THEIR centres grow while ours sit empty and crumbling. 

I have to wonder if the PCs are familiar with the Auditor General's report on OHIP. Because were they familiar with it, they would know that a key objective is to provide all Ontarians with accessible, high quality healthcare. And we're doing that!

They would also know that in the 2004/2005 fiscal year, OHIP spent 1.9 BILLION DOLLARS on non fee-for-service claims. Mr. Speaker, if we were to invest even a PORTION of that 1.9 BILLION dollars being spent PER YEAR on out of country claims into our OWN health care system, think of the facilities we could build! 

Do the PCs realize that for every 1000 people in Ontario there are 97 specialists? That Ontario offers the same number of acute care beds as the USA? Do they realize that we have spent 50 years investing in an exceptional health care service? This bill makes me wonder. 

Can we improve, Mr. Speaker Yes! Can we examine turning some of Ontario's abandoned schools into community health care centres easing the strain on emergency rooms? Yes! Can we invest funds to better equip our hospitals? Definitely! Can we support Universities in providing stellar educational opportunities to future doctors and continue Ontario's amazing level of care? We sure can! But ONLY if we invest our resources in OUR OWN PROVINCE! 

I can't support this bill, Mr. Speaker because doing so means not supporting my constituents, Ontario residents, or Ontario health care providers. 



My Liberal colleagues were very pleased with it! They were shouting "hear!hear!" and banging their desks! Just like a real debate! :) 

One Page MPP even got kicked out! 

It was fun to be able to act out what we see every day in the Chamber. 

---PeyThePEYge