TUNED IN!

There’s a radio show on CBC Radio One called “Ontario Today”.  I tuned in today to listen to the special guest, Kathleen Wynne.

Premier Wynne was in the studio and she was talking to the host about the gas plant issue.

Quick Tip: There were 2 gas-fired electricity plants that were to be built in the Toronto area but the Ontario government cancelled the plans. This made people upset because the government still had to pay a lot of money even though the plants weren't constructed. 

Premier Wynne said she understood why people are upset and she wanted to make sure that everyone knew that the government always tries to be honest and open about what they are doing.

Then Premier Wynne began taking calls from people from all over Ontario who had questions that they wanted to ask her.

One of the callers was from my home town and she was asking about government support for services with young adults with developmental disabilities. She said that her daughter who has a disability is unable to live on her own and it is difficult for her to get a job and most of the services available now are for kids, not adults. Premier Wynne said that her colleague, Ted McMeekin who is Minister of Community and Social Services had been trying to get more services for adults with developmental disabilities and funding for different associations that already exist.

It was a really interesting radio show. What I liked was that Premier Wynne was answering calls from different people about many different topics and she was answering them very honestly. She really seemed to care about what they had to say.

If I was the Premier of Ontario I would try to do these kinds of interviews a lot because it’s important to know what people in Ontario are thinking and feeling about the government. It’s important to be accessible to the people you are supposed to be representing. Without talking to people, how can you know if your government is doing a good job?

--- PeyThePEYge

Places, Please!

Today was a BIG day! 

Mr. Morin from the newspaper came to interview me about being a Page. The article should be in next week's paper! :D 
While he was here, there was a knock at the door......

It was.......

A delivery person! Receiving mail is super exciting! I love getting packages! But this was a super, extra, fantabulous delivery because it was...

MY LEGISLATIVE PAGE PROGRAM PACKAGE!

I've been waiting and waiting for this package because it contains all of the information I'm going to need to know for my term as a PEYge.

This package has EVERYTHING! 

There is a training CD that I can't wait to watch, a student handbook that will be like my new Bible, forms for me to fill out, forms for my school, information for my parents and even a handy dandy Ride Guide for the public transportation system in the big city!


Yes indeed, I'm going to be all set! 

 

Ah, but that's not it! There's more! Lots more!

113 things more, to be exact. 107 little tiny MPPs and 6 little tiny Officers of the House.

Obviously, the first thing I did was cut out my new tiny MPP cards and arranged them on the coffee table. Ta Da! Pretty impressive!  

To be a PEYge, I'm going to have to learn each of these 107 MPPs by face, by name, by riding (that's the area of Ontario they represent) and where they sit in the Legislature! I also have to know which ones are Honourables (those are the ministers) and what their portfolios are (the ministries they are responsible for). PLUS I need to know each of the 6 Officers of the House (which includes the Sargeant-at-Arms and the clerks). 

On August 29th, when I go to the Orientation Day at Queen's Park, I'm going to have to know all of this information because I'm going to be tested on it! Yikes! I'm going to have to study very, very hard!

 

I'm glad to have this package though, it helps me to be a little less nervous now that I have so much information about the program. They even included a schedule so I can see what my day is going to look like. Did you know that most days I will have to be at "work" from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.! That's a LONG day, but I'm really looking forward to it! 

You know what else I'm looking forward to? Spending the next few weeks playing Parliamentary Debate with my tiny little MPPs. 

 Oh! Did You hear that??? Tiny Premier Wynne has just decided that she is stepping down and that I'm going to be her replacement! (I think there's gonna be cake ;) !!!!!) 

-- PeyThePEYge

The Name Game. It's Magic!

I'm an avid Harry Potter fan. I've read all of the books at LEAST twice. If there was a Harry Potter trivia game, I'd be the gold medal champion! In Harry Potter, one of the workplaces is the Ministry of Magic and there is a Minister of Magic who oversees everything. This is sort of like the Legislature because we have ministers too! Except, sadly, our Ministers don't carry wands. Or disapparate. 

In the Ontario Legislative Assembly, there are Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). They are the people who we elect from different ridings across the province. 

Quick tip: A RIDING is the geographic area that an MPP is representing and responsible for. There are 107 ridings so 107 MPP seats in the Legislature. 

The MPPs are a mix of Liberal, Progressive Conservative and New Democratic Party representatives. 

But here is where the magic ministers come in....

The Premier gets to appoint certain MPPs in her party to be Ministers. This means that they get extra responsibilities and are in charge of certain things. They act as leaders and as the Premier's advisors. I've been learning the Ministers and here is what I know so far: 

Quick tip: Because our current government is a Liberal run government, the Ministers are all from the Liberal party.  

Bonus Quick Tips: We call the Ministers "Honourable" as their title and they are also called Cabinet members. 

There are 25 ministers but there are more than 25 special responsibilities so some of the ministers have extra jobs! 

Quick tip: The ministers sit right up in the front row of their party seats. 

Here is a list of our current ministers and their responsibilities. I'll also share how I'm remembering each of them because it's really hard to remember what they're each responsible for!

Honourable Jim Bradley 
Minister of Environment
I remember him because my sister and I got to submit an Order Paper Question to him asking him about making changes to Ontario's recycling program so that we have a deposit on cans and more incentive to recycle like the other provinces that are doing it (BC, Alberta and Quebec).

Honourable Michael Chan
Minister responsible for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games
Also Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
I remember him because Chan sort of rhymes with Parapan. I remember that he has a second role as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport because "Games" goes with sport.

Honourable Bob Chiarelli
Minister of Energy
I remember him because I think Chiarelli is ch-ch-chilly so turning up the heat would cost ENERGY!

Honourable Michael Coteau
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Honourable Brad Duguid
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
I remember him because everyone wants to Duguid (sounds like do good) at University!

Honourable John Gerretsen
Attorney General (the Attorney General is in charge of the justice system in Ontario)
I remember him because a garret is a small space like an attic. So if you don't follow his laws, you'll end up in a garret (prison)!

Honourable Eric Hoskins
Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Employment
I remember him because the First Nation Peoples TRADE skins (HoSKINS)

Honourable Linda Jeffrey
Chair of Cabinet
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
I remember she is chair of cabinet and then think that chairs and cabinets go in houses!

Honourable Jeff Leal
Minister of Rural Affairs

Honourable Tracy MacCharles
Minister of Consumer Services
Her last names starts with Mac which makes me think of Big Macs and we consume Big Macs.

Honourable Deborah Matthews
Deputy Premier (this means she takes over if Kathleen Wynne can't do her job)
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Honourable Madeleine Meilleur
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs
I remember her because she is my daddy's boss!

Honourable John Milloy
Minister of Government Services

Honourable Reza Moridi
Minister of Research and Innovation
The beginning of his name Reza sounds like the beginning of REsearch
And my mommy is a researcher

Honourable Glen R. Murray
Minster of Infrastructure (things like roads and bridges)
Minister of Transportation
I remember him because his two responsibilities go together (you transport things on roads and bridges)
Also, my sister made up a little jingle that helped me. It goes like this:

Murray! Hurry! Transportation!

Honourable Yasir Naqvi
Minister of Labour
I remember him because I think, "are you working?" YESSIR!

Honourable David Orazietti
Minister of Natural Resources
I remember him because gold is a natural resource and the french word for gold is OR and his last names begins with OR

Honourable Teresa Piruzza
Minister of Children and Youth Services

Honourable Liz Sandals
Minister of Education
I remember her because she is Minister of Education and I'd like to be a teacher when I'm older. Also, her last name is sandals which is like shoes and I LOVE SHOES! Finally, her first name is Liz and that's the name of my best friend! She might be my favourite Minister. I wonder if she has a wand and wears fancy sandals?

Honourable Mario Sergio
Minister Responsible for Seniors
Minister without Portfolio (this means that he doesn't really have a Ministry because there isn't actually a ministry of seniors, but he is responsible for seniors. Premier Wynne also wanted him to be one of her advisors).

Honourable Charles Sousa
Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
Minister of Finance

Honourable Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario
Minister of Agriculture and Food

Honourable David Zimmer
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

These Ministers are all in charge of the ministries they are responsible for. They all meet regularly to talk about what they want to propose to the Legislature. 

If I was an MPP I would want to be appointed as a Minister and not just because I like the idea of being called Honourable! I think having extra responsibilities and being in charge of a Ministry is cool but I think talking to the different people in the ministries (like if I was minister of agriculture, talking to all of the farmers and finding out what their concerns and questions are) would be the best part of the job! 

Now I'm going to wave my magic wand and disapparate! 

-- PeyThePEYge

Demos and Kratia

The words in my title aren't names for characters in a book, though they would make good ones, I think!

They are actually Greek words that when you stick them together, mean democracy. What they really are is a story about how our governmental system here in Canada was formed. (You can see I've started studying for my PEYge adventure!) 

Parliamentary democracy was created in Greece but England sort of took it over and developed it a bit more. The English government instead of just having a King or Queen as they had in the past, decided to create a parliament.

Quick TIP:
Parliament comes from French word "parler" which means "to speak". 

The parliament started as a group of advisors to help the King or Queen make decisions. That kind of meant that the King didn't really have full power. He couldn't just yell "off with your head" and your head would be off. Thankfully, he'd have to first talk it over with his advisors, the parliament. This would at least give you a couple extra days with your head intact while they argued about what to do! :) 

In 1215, the English government passed something called the Magna Carta which is probably the most important law that there is. It meant that the British people had absolute rights and that the parliament had even more power than before... the King even had to go to them if he wanted to do something as simple as raise taxes! 

Over time, the English government developed more and more. In the late 17th century, people realized that the parliament had even more power than the King did. The parliament passed something saying that the King no longer was in power, it was the parliament who decided everything. And even though they had said with the Magna Carta that British people had absolute rights, they were doubly confirming it now, saying 'you definitely have these rights!'

The King still was there, but the parliament really controlled everything. 

Most people know that Canada was sort of controlled by the English government for a long time and so was the States. Then came the Revolution and we, as a Country, were on our own! Before we were all by ourselves, we were ruled the same way as England with a parliamentary democracy. We kept that system even after the Revolution. 

Our system in Canada continued to grow and change. 

We now have a:

Federal government 

who look after things related to Canada as a whole so ... immigration, the environment, national security and things like that

Provincial government 

who look after health care, roads and schools, farming, driving licences and things that affect Ontario

and Municipal government 

who look after roads, garbage collection, housing taxes, playgrounds in your village or city

The Legislative Assembly is provincial government. They meet at Queen's Park which is in Toronto. 

There, we have three different parties who have "seats" (there are 107 total seats) in the legislature.

The Ontario Liberal Party (they currently have 50 seats)
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (they currently have 37 seats)
The New Democratic Party of Ontario (they currently have 20 seats) 

There are two different types of provincial government:

1. Majority Government

There are 107 seats in the Legislature. In order to have a Majority Government, whichever party is in power (whichever party has the Premier in power), have to have at least 54 seats (that's exactly half the seats in the Legislature.) If they do, then that means that they can pass laws, bills and budgets without needing any votes from other parties. 

2. Minority Government

We currently have a Minority Government. This means that the party in power (now, it's the Liberal party) has less than 54 seats so they need the support (and votes) of other parties (like the New Democratic Party) in order to pass laws, bills or budgets. If we have a Minority Government, they need to have confidence of the House, meaning they need to pass all of their laws and budgets because if they lose confidence of the House, that means they lose power and have to have a re-election. 

Quick Tips: 

Ontario currently has a Minority Government because the party in power only has 50 seats (not 54)

The Liberal Party is in power (Kathleen Wynne is their leader, the Premier) 

The Opposition (the party with the second highest number of seats) is the Conservative Party

I'm learning so much about the parliament already. I can't wait to get to Queen's Park and really see first hand what the government does!

-- PeyThePEYge

You Can Colle It a Wynne-Wynne Situation!

So some of you might know that I had the awesome opportunity to meet MPP Steve Clark who is a Conservative MPP from my riding of Leeds Grenville. MPP Clark stopped by my house to meet my sister and I after we did our Share Your Hair Project. He actually stopped by on election night which I thought was pretty cool of him. What I like most about Steve Clark is that he is really easy to talk to, he is connected with his community and he stands up for what he believes in. 

BUT

This weekend, I actually had an opportunity to meet another MPP. (I'm starting to wonder if politicians are following me around ;) !) MPP Michael Colle is a Liberal from the Eglinton-Lawrence Riding, has a cottage right near my Noni and Boppa's cottage in Quebec. MPP Colle was out for his morning run (this guy is amazing, he is 68 years old and runs marathons. Awesome!) when he stopped by the cottage to say hello and talk to me about the Page Program. If I was feeling nervous about going and being a PEYge, MPP Colle really helped me realize that the MPPs are just regular people who, like me, want to be involved and make positive change in their communities and in our province. I thought it was so nice to meet him and his wife. I'm looking forward to seeing him again during my term of duty. 

Me and my sister with MPP Colle at our cottage.  

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better than having met two MPPs before I become a PEYge.........

(my suspicion about being followed by politicians was confirmed!)

I was enjoying Canalfest which is a celebration in my village to recognize the importance and awesomeness of our canal, when I saw out of the corner of my eye our local mayor, Mr. Struthers. I wondered why he was surrounded by tough-looking body guards with earpieces and news reporters. I know he's important, but the body guards were a little over the top! Then I noticed that there was someone next to him who looked familiar. It took me a minute to realize it was

PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE!!!!

I couldn't let the opportunity to meet Premier Wynne pass me by! I immediately walked over and waited to meet with her. Mayor Struthers introduced us and I told her that I would be serving as a PEYge this fall. 

She was so nice and she congratulated me saying that it would be such a wonderful experience for me.  I asked if she had any advice and she said that I shouldn't be nervous or afraid to ask questions. That a big part of being a PEYge is interacting with the MPPs and Premier Wynne because it gives a chance to ask questions and learn from their experiences. She told me that I should definitely visit her office and remind her that we met at Canalfest. I think one of the funniest parts of our conversation was when she met my sister, Taylor. She looked at us both and said, "I can't tell which one of you is the oldest sibling". It's funny to me when people mistake us for twins or can't tell our ages apart, especially since now I'm taller than Taylor who is 2 years older than me! 

Premier Wynne was so kind and pleasant. I thought it was great that she was taking the time to stop and meet people in the park, to listen to what they were saying, to answer questions and to meet with me! 

Meeting Premier Wynne would be a pretty amazing experience for any kid, but it meant a little more to me since it gave me an opportunity to introduce myself and talk to her about the Page Program, and really see her as a real person out in the community before meeting her in the Legislature. 

Me with Premier Kathleen Wynne!

Talk about an AMAZING weekend! And this is only the beginning! 

-- PeyThePEYge

Drumroll, Please!

OK, I have the MOST EXCITING NEWS to share!!!!!!! :D:D:D.....

I

Am

Going

To

MILK SOME GOATS! 

I'm on a farm in NY State, having the time of mah LIFE, learning about sustainable farming, collecting eggs from chickens, grooming 22 hand-high horses, feeding lambs, walking donkeys and even MILKING GOATS! 

Okay, okay. While this is SO exciting and fun and EPIC... it isn't actually the BIG NEWS I have to share. 

I just found out that 

I

ME

PEYTON

MOI

L'il OLD ME

have been accepted into the LEGISLATIVE PAGE PROGRAM! 

I am truly and actually an official PEYge! 

Three cheers, everyone! This is AMAZING! 

I can't quite believe that I'll be spending not 2 weeks, not 4 weeks but 5 entire weeks this fall in Toronto learning all about our provincial government and working as a PEYge in the Legislature. 

I am so honoured to have been chosen. I know not many kids get the chance to do this. I'm really lucky and I plan on working really hard and taking advantage of everything the program has to offer. 

I hope you'll join me on this adventure by continuing to read my blog. 

Who knows? Maybe this is the beginning of my career in politics and one day you'll be able to say...

Hey... I read Premier Peyton's blog when she was a young PEYge!

WOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!! :D 

Now I must go(at) and milk the goats. This afternoon I'm making cheese! I guess this experience will give me lots to talk about with Premier Wynne as she is also the Minister of Agriculture and Food! Wonder if she's ever milked a goat? ;) 

- PeyThePEYge

Waiting!

I don't consider myself to be a very patient person. I don't like waiting. I don't like surprises either, so when you have to wait for surprises... that's just about as intolerable as you can imagine! 

Right now I'm waiting for a really big surprise! Whether or not I've been accepted into the Legislative Page Program. 

The Page Program, just so you know, is a really amazing experience for kids in grade 7 and 8 who want to learn about the government and work in the Legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto. If you're accepted, you get to stay in Toronto for 2 weeks to 4 weeks and work at Queen's Park every day! 

I wanted to apply for a few reasons. I have been hearing really interesting stories from my Boppa (that's my grandfather) about when he was the Reeve (like a mayor) of a town for about 13 years. He talked about all of the cool things he was able to do (and even how he was almost arrested at a protest once) because he was in politics.

I also am really passionate about making change. When my sister and I created the Share Your Hair Project, we learned about how to work with other people to get things done and make a real difference in the world around us.  I learned that one of the best ways of making change is by being a part of the government. Our government makes all sorts of rules and laws and changes all of the time! When I saw the video of our Member of Provincial Parliament, Steve Clark, standing up in the Legislature talking about the Share Your Hair Project and I saw the Pages in the background doing their jobs, I thought "hey! That's something I can do!" 

Not long after our Share Your Hair Project, my sister and I started the Show We CAN Lend A Hand Project for Habitat for Humanity. We were invited by MPP Clark to submit an Order Paper Question to the Minister of Environment because we want changes made to the Ontario recycling program. We asked the Minister if Ontario would consider starting a deposit program like they have in British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta where people pay a small deposit on their pop cans and plastic bottles and are refunded their money when they recycle their cans and bottles. It's such a good incentive for recycling! Going through the Order Paper Question process really made me think that I'd like to learn more about politics and the provincial government. 

So then came the HARD WORK! I had to write a 750 word essay about all of the things I'm involved with (like dance and swimming, school and volunteering, my projects) and why I want to be a Page and why I think I'd be a good one. 

I FINALLY finished my essay and it was time to submit the application. With the help of my awesome French teacher, and with my principal's permission, I sent it in. 

And now? 

WAAAAAITING!!!!

I don't know how long it will be before I hear back if I'm accepted. I know not many kids are chosen, so I'm not sure what my chances are, but I'm hopeful! 

I don't have any good luck rituals like wearing the same pair of socks (thank goodness, 'cause ewwww!!!) or sleeping with a spoon under my pillow ('cause owwww!!!!!) so I guess I'll just ask everyone else to do a good luck ritual for me! 

And let's all keep our fingers crossed! :D 

-PeyThePEYge