Similarities and Differences: Ohio Senators and Ohio State TV

During our visit to Ohio I often felt my mind was processing information by organizing it into a chart according to similarities and differences between the Ohio Legislature and my now familiar home base at Queen’s Park. One key point in the differences column is the existence of a second house in Ohio. The bicameral legislature in American states creates two levels of representation, a Senate and a House of Representatives, which is markedly different from the unicameral system in Canadian provinces.

On Tuesday morning we had the opportunity to meet with Republican Senator Jim Hughes, who is serving his second term. Senator Hughes is the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions and works on a range of issues from criminal justice, to finance, higher education, public safety and veterans’ affairs. In addition to his political responsibilities, Senator Hughes continues to practice law. The notion of a part-time politician who remains connected to his community by working outside the Statehouse may appeal to Ontarians, but in reality our politicians work full time as elected representatives.

Another point for the differences column in my lengthy mental chart is that at the Ohio Legislature there is no service comparable to Hansard. This came as quite a surprise given how heavily staffers, journalists and interns rely on the written record of all the happenings at Queen’s Park. Instead, in Ohio, Legislative, Senate and Committee sessions are recorded by the Ohio State Government channel. One of the Ohio interns (or rather, fellows, as they are known) Jonathan Williams is working for Ohio Government Telecommunications. He gave us a behind the scenes tour of the organization’s workspace and sets. He also explained the division between Ohio Government Telecommunications and the Ohio Channel, where the former records all legislative activity without commentary or edits and the latter offers public affairs programming. Jonathan was highly knowledgeable and we appreciated hearing from a fellow intern who is working in media.

C’mon Be Cool: The Interns Excitedly Visit The CBC

I began this internship thinking that working in government would help me better understand how decisions are made in society. After eight months up close and personal with the people who propose, debate and pass the laws that govern our province, I have come to the conclusion that while government is a powerful body, so too is the media. Government’s influence is largely understood by the public based on how it is described by the media. Journalists decide how to recount political affairs for TV, radio and print media, and this is the information that the public consumes. So it was with great interest that the interns visited the CBC to learn about how news is produced.

We began our visit by talking with Heather Hiscox, the host of CBC News Now. We were shocked and appalled to learn that she starts work at 3:30 AM, and we promptly lost all interest in pursuing a career in journalism. (Just kidding!) Despite being 6 hours into her workday during our 9:30 AM meeting, Heather was bright and enthusiastic as she told us about her career, starting as a disc jockey for a radio station in Owen Sound, to working as an anchor and reporter across Canada — in London, Halifax, Montreal and now Toronto. Heather’s varied experiences have also taken her to CBC’s bureaus in Washington and London, England, as well as to the Olympics in Athens, Turin and Beijing to cover the Games for CBC. While we may not envy Heather’s wake-up time, we were certainly impressed by her dynamic career.

Our meeting with Honorary Intern Robert Fisher had decidedly more of a Queen’s Park focus. We were fascinated by Robert’s insights into provincial politics, though perhaps not surprising considering that he spent 25 years at Queen’s Park with CBC and Global, hosted Focus Ontario and served as Queen’s Park bureau chief. Fun fact: Robert wrote his Master’s thesis about women in politics, so he had particularly keen insights on politics in this province under our first female premier.

Good talks gave way to a cool walk around the CBC. We watched producers and editors put together a news segment and casually stood around The National’s news desk (if your definition of casual allows for remarks like: “Ohmygosh, we’re standing at the news desk I see on TV!!!”). Producer Raj Ahluwalia kindly led us on the tour and generously answered every last one of our questions about how the news gets made at the CBC.

Our visit was arranged by producer extraordinaire Melanie Glanz, to whom we are very grateful.  We would like to thank Melanie, Raj, Robert and Heather for an A+ day at the CBC.

We managed to play it cool long enough to snap a photo of us standing at The National’s news desk.

Her Tory And History: Leanna Joins The PCs

I’m going to out myself: I don’t live for the political game. I like working in government because it is a powerful avenue for improving society. Lest I sound overly virtuous, I do enjoy human drama in politics as much as the next person (especially in the form of epic rap battles between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney ). But in and outside the Legislature, I prefer kindness and civility to aggression and rancour.

So I am very happy that my second placement is in the office of Christine Elliott, Deputy Leader of the PC Party. Christine is known to be thoughtful, hard-working and intelligent, and I am so pleased to be able to work with her and have her as a mentor and role model. While the Legislature is abuzz as Kathleen Wynne takes over as Premier, Christine’s focus remains on her role as Critic for Health and Long-Term Care, Citizenship and Immigration and Mental Health Reform, all the while representing the people of Whitby-Oshawa.

In the first weeks of my placement I have quickly learned about the difference between life in government and opposition. While no party wants to be in opposition, from an intern’s perspective, opposition life has its benefits, including working closely with other party members and having more independence in developing messaging. I have also been learning a lot about health care, watching closely as the government deals with Ornge and listening to constituents’ concerns about Ontario’s health care system.

In the past week I have also gained an appreciation for the difference between government when it is prorogued and when it is in session. With daily Question Period, ongoing committee work and bills being introduced and debated, it’s great to see Queen’s Park as a hub of activity once again. Christine’s assistant Justin has helped me navigate all there is to learn, and never fails to offer advice, keen political insight and engaging conversation.

There’s much to look forward to over the next few months and I’m thrilled to be in the midst of it all working with Justin and Christine.

Leanna in her second placement with MPP Christine Elliott.

A Welcome To The Fourth Session Of The 17th Legislative Assembly Of The Northwest Territories

Good timing is key to success in politics, for example knowing when to call attention to an issue or when to stay quiet and let a scandal blow over. I’d like to believe that we interns have mastered the art of good timing as evidenced by planning our trip to Yellowknife during the opening of the fourth session of Parliament in the Northwest Territories.

On Wednesday afternoon we were able to attend the opening session, at which point the Speaker was kind enough to introduce us in the legislature as a delegation from the Ontario Legislature. I felt rather patriotic sitting in the midst of a full House in the beautiful Chambers of the NWT Legislature listening to the national anthem. It was also a treat to hear the Commissioner of the NWT, the venerable George Tuccaro, deliver the opening address.

The Legislature then hosted a reception to celebrate the start of the fourth session.  As I was standing in the sunny lobby of the Legislature with two other interns, Andrea and Connor, we were approached by John McFadden from CJCD 100.1 FM who interviewed us about our trip and our impressions of Yellowknife for the news. In typical intern style, we tried to play it cool, but in truth we were excited that we had a chance to talk with John and that he ran our interview on the radio the following Monday.

In addition to seeing the opening of the Legislature on Wednesday afternoon, we had the opportunity to meet Bob McLeod, Premier of the Northwest Territories (as well as Minister of Executive, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Minister Responsible for Women and Minister Responsible for New Energy Initiatives. Honestly I don’t see why this guy couldn’t take on a few more portfolios. Oh right, perhaps because there are only 24 hours in a day.)

Mr. McLeod came to the Legislature after 28 years in the public sector, serving many senior management roles, including Deputy Minister and Secretary to Cabinet. Mr. McLeod was first elected to the Legislature in 2007, and upon his re-election in 2011, he was chosen to be Premier. Our discussion with Mr. McLeod had a different tone than our conversations with high-ranking politicians in Ontario. Mr. McLeod spoke to us straightforwardly about where the Northwest Territories is poised at this juncture in history, what the pressing social issues are and where Yellowknife stands in terms of devolution.

When asked what he hopes will define his Legacy as Premier, Mr. McLeod said his government is “doing things differently and getting things done.” More specifically, Mr. McLeod wants to improve relationships with Aboriginal governments, advance land claims, make progress on the Deh cho bridge, and figure out a devolution deal.  In addition to talking politics, the Premier left us with words of wisdom: listen carefully, don’t act when upset and maintain relationships.

After meeting with the head of the territorial government, we ended our day by meeting with Regina Pfeiffer, the Executive Director of the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories (LGANT). LGANT is a professional organization comprised of senior administrative staff of the 33 community governments in the NWT.  I was impressed by Ms. Pfeiffer’s love of tackling difficult issues at the local level and the breadth of understanding it takes to negotiate relationships between the varied governments at the municipal level.

Meeting with Regina reminded me how many layers of government exist in the Northwest Territories. And as can be seen from Ms. Pfeiffer’s role in coordinating the local governments, as well as Mr. McLeod’s move from the civil service to the Legislature – these governments interact as they fulfill their roles governing diverse groups of people living in the Northwest Territories. Lots to learn about government for politico-aficionados, like us!

LAWPRO: Pro OLIP Sponsors

There are more than a few potential budding lawyers in our group of interns, so a visit to LAWPRO was a chance to learn about a sponsor organization as well as a company that will remain relevant in many of our lives as we move forward in our careers.

LAWPRO, or Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company, provides professional liability insurance to lawyers in Ontario, as well as TitlePLUS title insurance across the country. LAWPRO offers lawyers in Ontario liability insurance, claims administration, and risk and practice management initiatives to help prevent claims.

We had the opportunity to visit the LAWPRO headquarters down on Yonge Street and speak with President and CEO Kathleen Waters, Vice President Public Affairs Ray Leclair and Practice Pro Coordinator Tim Lemieux.

We learned a lot speaking with Kathleen, Ray and Tim. Interesting fact: one third of the claims that LAWPRO deals with are due to poor lawyer/client communication. This fact reinforces the importance of good communication in any profession. We also found out that LAWPRO offers neat programs like www.avoidaclaim.com which, much as the name suggests, helps lawyers understand how they can avoid facing claims.

While our meeting with LAWPRO involved mostly learning about their work, our relationship with LAWPRO is about more than just business. Thanks to LAWPRO’s generosity, I was fortunate enough to attend the NourishHOPE Dinner & Charity Auction a couple days prior to our meeting at LAWPRO’s headquarters. The NourishHOPE event was hosted by the International Justice Mission (IJM), a human rights agency that works to secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression in countries around the world. IJM lawyers aim to ensure that public justice systems, including police, courts and laws, protect the poor from violence. IJM does fascinating, admirable work and it was great to learn about this organization that LAWPRO supports.

My interaction with LAWPRO has taken me from international human rights work to professional liability insurance. Though these two fields may appear to be worlds apart, they are both important facets of the legal profession. I appreciate that through my interaction with LAWPRO, I have been able to gain a better understanding of the breadth of the legal profession.

It was a pleasure to spend time with Kathleen, Ray and Tim, and learn about the good work they do at LAWPRO. We would like to thank them for taking the time to meet with us and for their continued support of OLIP.

And There Was Nary A Politician To Be Seen: Wednesday Morning In Ottawa

On Wednesday around 11 AM, had you been wandering around Parliament Hill you would have noticed nine twenty-somethings dressed in suits with knees up, arms pumping, hair blowing in the breeze- yes, full out sprinting – from the Hill to the Supreme Court. And you may have wondered why.

Allow me to explain.

On Wednesday morning we learned about some of the less political dimensions of public affairs. To do so, we had meetings with Deputy Clerk Marc Bosc, Senate Clerk Gary O’Brien and former Supreme Court Justice, Marie Deschamps.

The morning started with a lovely breakfast with the Parliamentary Interns and their Director, Garth Williams, at the Parliamentary Dining Room. I was glad to have the opportunity to chat with the PIPs and learn more about what they’re up to in Ottawa. Overall impression: a seriously delightful group of people and a friendly and caring director.

From there we headed to our meeting with Deputy Clerk Marc Bosc to learn about how Procedural Services works at the House of Commons. Mr. Bosc explained that clerks get to move freely between directorates, including research, committees, and international/inter-parliamentary affairs. The aim seems to be to have a well-rounded team of clerks, allowing each clerk to have good understanding of how the House as a whole functions. This keeps the clerks’ jobs interesting, which is reflected in that most clerks make their careers in the House.

At our next meeting, Mr. O’Brien spoke to us about the procedural and administrative nature of the job of a Senate clerk. Mr. O’Brien used to work in the House of Commons, but seems to enjoy his present role as Clerk of the Senate, explaining that the Senate has some of the best former Parliamentarians. Mr. O’Brien was eager to have us see firsthand these fine Parliamentarians turned Senators at work and invited us to watch the Senate the next day.

Leaving our meeting with Mr. Bosc we had to pick up the pace (cue image of interns running with Flight of the Bumblebee music playing) to make it to our meeting with Former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Marie Deschamps. Meeting a Supreme Court Justice is intimidating to start, but I was surprised and a little embarrassed when I realized I didn’t even understand her title. What is a “puisne” I and a few fellow interns wondered. A quick google search informed us that a puisne judge is, in the context of the Supreme Court, any judge other than the chief justice. Emboldened, knowing that we at least understood her job title, we were eager to speak with Justice Deschamps in a joint meeting with the Parliamentary Interns.

Meeting Marie Deschamps was a unique opportunity to discuss the intersection between law and politics. I was struck by Justice Deschamp’s clear sense of her place within the structures, processes and rules that govern society. She spoke to us about the collegiality that exists between the Supreme Court Justices. Perhaps most interestingly, she offered us insight into the decision-making process at the Supreme Court level. Following our meeting with Justice Deschamps, we got a tour of the Supreme Court, thereby concluding a busy Wednesday morning.

Lesson worth taking away from Wednesday morning: while politicians seem to be the superstars of public affairs in Ottawa, needless to say, there are other key, if not less visible actors. I found it fascinating to learn about the procedural and legal side of public affairs, which helps put the political dimension in a broader context.

Interns with Deputy Clerk Marc Bosc

Interns with Senate Clerk Gary O’Brien

The Magazine: With Love, From Us To You!

By now you should have a copy of the latest edition of Queen’s Park Insider on your desk. And on your coffee table. And on your nightstand for bedtime reading. Or maybe that’s just me…

Well, after months of hard work from the interns and programme coordinators, we have a 24-page glossy of our very own, dedicated to describing the highlights of our experience at Queen’s Park so far. You’ve seen the headlines – we’ve written about our meetings with the three party leaders, the current and immediate past Speaker, all seven of Ontario’s Independent Officers, and our generous sponsors. We’ve also got two full pages of alumni updates and an alumni spotlight featuring three scholars and one star (specifically, a star of the screen and the stage; all our alumni are stars of course!).

Once you’ve leafed through the magazine so many times that you’re dizzy from seeing the interns walk up and down the Leg staircase in the flipbook on the corner of each page, and once you’ve read your copy carefully enough to know which alumnus is staring in the Toronto musical Snow White — or even if you haven’t spent quite so much time poring over it — feel free let us know your thoughts on the magazine. Please email me personally at leannakatz [at] hotmail [dot] com with any thoughts, I’d be happy to hear from you.

Happy Reading!

~2012-13 OLIP Magazine Editor, Leanna Katz

OLIP and OCUFA: A Match Made In The Ivory Towers

Long before I had any faces to put to the name, I was familiar with OCUFA. The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association is one of the sponsors OLIP is most closely connected to, not least of all because our very own Programme Director Dr. J used to be the organization’s President!

Meeting with OCUFA’s current President Mark Rosenfeld, Communications Director Graham Stewart and Policy Analyst (and OLIP alum!) Erica Rayment was fascinating, especially for the more academic (read: nerdy) among us.

As new university graduates, OCUFA’s goal of promoting high quality and affordable education resonates with us. OCUFA’s concerns about the declining quality of university education and addressing growing class sizes are matters that I regularly thought about and discussed with peers and professors throughout university. And for those of us who are considering careers in academia or who take a personal interest in education policy, these are issues we will continue to care deeply about over the course of our careers.

During the meeting, we discussed pressing issues in Canadian universities today. One relevant topic is the Council of Canadian Academies’ recent assessment of the persistent underrepresentation of women in universities. The CCA reports that women are less likely than their male counterparts in the same field to obtain a university teaching and research position. This, despite the fact that women now represent a larger proportion of doctoral students and graduates; women are still underrepresented in teaching and research positions relative to their share of the general population in Canadian universities. OCUFA lobbies to address this and other such important issues.

Whether we go on to work in government or scurry back to school, I know that many of us will keep OCUFA’s work in mind. We thank very much for their time and sponsorship!

No Shortage Of Work For Leanna In MPP Mike Colle’s Office

Over a month into my placement in Mike Colle’s office and I’m happily working away in my Queen’s Park office.

When I last blogged, on my first day in Mike’s office, I was unsure how my role would change given the prorogation announcement. I quickly found out that Mike has a number of projects on the go, which have been more than enough to keep me busy. I am working on two main projects at the moment.

The first is helping to plan Jewish Heritage Month. Last year, Mike succeeded in passing Bill 17, an act that recognizes May as Jewish Heritage Month, a chance to celebrate the contributions of Ontarians of Jewish decent. Having grown up Jewish in Toronto, getting involved in this project seems to be a natural fit. Through gathering contacts and working on building partnerships with influencers and organizations in the Jewish community, I’ve gotten a macro-level perspective of the Jewish communities in Ontario. It will be neat to see Jewish Heritage Month come together over the next few months.

The second project I’m involved with is helping with the Save Postal Station K campaign. Postal Station K was the site of Montgomery’s tavern, which was the start and end point of the Upper Canada Rebellion. The tavern was burned down, but an Art Deco style postal station was built in its place in the 1930s. It stands today as an interesting architectural site, as well as one of the last remaining public spaces near Yonge and Eglinton. Last week we hosted a public meeting about Postal Station K. I was impressed by the enthusiasm and resourcefulness of the community members who showed up to offer their support and contribute ideas on what can be done to stop this national historic site from being sold. One of my favourite things about working with Mike is getting a sense of his constituency and the personalities in the neighbourhood. There is a real passion for maintaining the integrity of the area, and rightfully so. It is a special place.

In addition to Jewish Heritage Month and Postal Station K, I’m working on a few other projects, but you will have to keep checking the blog to find out what they are!

An Eventful First Day: Leanna Joins The Office Of MPP Mike Colle

I started in Mike Colle’s office the day after the prorogation announcement was made. The first day at any job is unnerving, but with the nature of the job having changed considerably within the past 24 hours, I was more than a little nervous to start and find out what was in store for me. Quickly I realized that despite prorogation, there would be a lot of interesting work to do in Mike’s office.

Mike is an experienced politician with deep roots in his community. He has been representing the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence for consecutive terms since being elected in 1995. I have been fortunate enough to have Mike take me on a tour of his constituency. Beyond Mike’s extensive knowledge about the community, I was impressed by how he seemed to know virtually every person we encountered. I also got to visit to Mike’s busy constituency office where the friendly, knowledgeable and patient Angela, Cathy and Olivia work.

Starting on my first day in the job, Mike’s Executive Assistant Dustin Cohen has gotten me involved in everything that is going on in the office. Whether it is researching for Jayesh’s Law, liaising with constituents or helping to organize the campaign to Save Historic Postal Station K, I have gotten a taste of the varied work going on in Mike’s office. Sarah Teichman, Mike’s Legislative Assistant, has been a great resource as well as a friendly face to have around the office.

While prorogation changes the nature of the work at Queen’s Park, I don’t doubt I will be learning a lot and working on some interesting issues over the course of my term here in Mike Colle’s office.