Markham – Markham resident and local student, Kenzie Murray is currently finishing out her term as a legislative page. The Legislative Page Program at Queen’s Park is open to grades 7 & 8students from around the province. The legislative pages work in the Legislative Chamber of Parliament. They serve a Term of Duty of up to six weeks and are granted a leave of absence from school for the duration.
“I enjoyed the page program very much. I enjoyed learning firsthand about the legislative process, hearing the debates in the house, and meeting many politicians,” says Kenzie Murray.
“It is a competitive program,” says Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP, Oak Ridges – Markham. “It is quite an accomplishment for Kenzie, and all of the legislative pages, to be accepted. The Legislative Page Program is excellent. It offers a great experience for our young people to gain a genuine understanding of the legislative process that influences all of our lives.”
Pages participate in the legislative process, act as messengers, meet with politicians and officials, learn how laws are made and how the Province of Ontario is governed.
“Each morning we start by preparing the chamber. This involves preparing the MPPs desks with paper they may need,” explains Murray. “We also work in the chamber when the house sits in the morning for orders of the day and question period and in the afternoon when lots of documents are presented. Being in the chamber is a very busy time for the Pages because we are responsible for delivering messages or sometimes important documents to MPPs from their assistants.”
“I highly recommend the Page program to any grade 7 or 8 student who is interested in politics or wants to learn more about politics,” adds Murray. “I recommend this program because no matter what you are doing you are always having fun and enjoying your time as a legislative page. You get to have an amazing experience that not many people can say they have. Also, you get privileges, like being able to be on the floor of the house when it is sitting, that you would only otherwise experience if you were elected to the legislature. If you do this program, I guarantee you will have an amazing experience and a fun time during your term of duty.”
“It’s been a pleasure to observe a local student experience the inner workings of government and I enjoyed meeting with Ms. Murray and hearing her insights,” says Jaczek. “Ms. Murray has a bright future and I look forward to hearing of her many accomplishments to come.”