New kind of transport, protection of ecosystems, right to housing: nearly a hundred young people aged 18 to 25 have gathered at the National Assembly since Monday as part of the 73rd edition of the Youth Parliament of Quebec (PJQ). The duty met three participants in this model parliament who aspire to be the politicians of tomorrow.
transport enthusiast
“I hope perhaps one day to be able to sit in the National Assembly,” said Guillaume Chabaud-Proulx, his eyes shining. But for the moment, the 22-year-old is enjoying his second participation in the Youth Parliament of Quebec, which takes place all week. Last year, the event where we vote on mock bills was held virtually due to COVID-19. This year, “I took the time to realize the moment when I set foot in the Blue Room” for the first time, he says.
Guillaume says he particularly likes this non-partisan parliamentary simulation, because he enjoys “complete freedom” to express his opinions. Here, there is no need to toe a party line. “Our constituency is our family name. I am the member for Chabaud-Proulx, an incredible fictional riding. I represent myself very well, ”he jokes.
In the House, the holder of a bachelor’s degree in political science is also asserting his point of view with aplomb. On Tuesday, he succeeded in having a motion adopted by the PJQ on a subject that fascinates him: transport. “I don’t have a driver’s license,” he admits, smirking. Often I’m not considered the best at talking about transportation. »
But according to him, the “lack of trains and the lack of low-cost trains” are a shortcoming in Quebec. Viewing the car as a symbol of freedom is “completely wrong,” he adds.
Allowing Quebecers to move around the territory more easily by public transit would “perhaps promote better relations between the regions,” he says.
Aim “high, high, high”
If Aya Boucenna is participating for the first time in the Youth Parliament of Quebec, the 20-year-old young woman does not have her tongue in her pocket. “All that is debate, I really like that,” she says, smiling. “I’m not much of a follower in life,” she says. I’m really the person who reveals his ideas more. »
The Montrealer who first dreamed of being a doctor enrolled in political science at the University of Montreal, after participating in a simulation of the United Nations at CEGEP. “Incredible, I loved it so much,” she says enthusiastically. “Each of us represented a country with completely different issues, everyone really had their own idea and had to do their reading. »
By participating in the PJQ, Aya was able to fulfill a “little girl’s dream”: to walk through the doors of the Parliament’s Blue Room. “I see the debates on television, I see the people who get involved on television and there today, it’s me who is there, she says. I feel that each of us is the future of Quebec, of all of Canada. »
If she makes the leap into politics, she hopes to “affect more than Quebec”, and would therefore like to get involved on the Canadian scene. “I like to aim high, high, high, something much bigger. So really, the federal government is what calls me, ”she explains.
Aya would like to carry the voice of youth if she becomes a politician. And not just that of his own generation. “Even my little sister’s generation [âgée de 2 ans], it would be to see what they would like to change. We talk too little about young people in politics, according to her.
But above all, the priority is to fight against climate change, she underlines. “Because if that doesn’t change, the Earth won’t exist anymore, so we won’t have any future generations. »
Listening in politics
A good politician is someone who knows how to listen, according to Léandre Benoit, who acts as Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition for the Model Parliament. “I think you have to have firm ideas, but you have to be able to open up to the other side of the House,” says the 22-year-old, who is participating for the second time in the PJQ.
How would he describe his experience in the Youth Parliament of Quebec in one word? “Learning,” he replies, after a short reflection. “We learn a lot on the human side, to be able to put our ideas aside to make compromises,” says the master’s student in political science at the University of Montreal.
If the work of deputy interests him, Léandre sees himself working more as ministerial chief of staff. “Maybe more in the shadows actually,” he said. “There is a certain freedom to be more who you are, less who you should be in front of the camera. »
He would rather work on the Canadian political scene than in Quebec, because he holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and would like to continue in this field. “The possibilities are greater at the federal level,” says the young man from Gatineau. That said, I find that in Quebec, we have more and more of this international scope. »
What should be talked about more in Canadian politics? “I’m a bit like my international relations nerd,” he apologizes, laughing, “but what I really like is all this contribution of a more feminist perspective to our international relations and also to the way to do politics. He would like to “foam” this aspect more.
But for the moment, Léandre is taking advantage of the parliamentary simulation to debate feminist issues with his comrades. “It makes people realize how important it is to talk about it,” he says.