Okay, time to add to the 2014 Creepfest with some photos from my recent time at Queen's Model Parliament (QMP). This year, I had the honour of leading the Conservative Party to much success: We won "best party," which is practically unheard of for the Tories at this student-run conference. I don't mean for this post to be in any way braggy... I thought I'd share because this year's QMP was honestly the best experience of my undergrad... and I think it's right in the wheelhouse of the Atlas. It was basically "Atlasia in real life." You get to meet so many great people, and the feeling of standing in the House of Commons to give a speech is beyond words.
Here's me with Former Speaker of the House Peter Milliken. Such an awesome dude. He was the one to help secure our school exclusive rights to the House of Commons (he was the MP for Kingston and the Islands, which is my university's riding). The House has been opened to other schools after his retirement, but he continues to be a big supporter of our conference.
I believe this photo was taken sometime after he joked that the only good Tory is a lavatory.
Next is my traditional photo at the Speaker's chair. I think I've posted a few from past years. This one is my favourite.
Now we've got some pictures from our debate on the "emergency bill." Basically, all the delegates were summoned to a "press conference" where we learned of a recent situation that had to be dealt with. We would be debating the government's response to the crisis, which the Prime Minister presented to the delegates. The Green Party formed government this year.
Basically, the situation was as follows: Under the stewardship of Pauline Marois and the Parti Québécois, the province of Quebec just voted yes on a referendum to separate from the country. We had one hour to draft our response to the government's plan and write speeches for the debate. This hour was my favourite hour of the conference. This emergency was definitely the best one we've had to deal with in years.
Anyway, yeah. Bottom line: If you ever get a chance to participate in something similar, do it. I was nervous as hell after becoming the Conservative leader because the conference is usually dominated by the student government crowd, of which I am definitely not a part. Honestly though, it didn't matter. Everyone was fantastic. I had so much fun and made a ton of new friends. I really wish I came out of my shell at university and jumped into leadership roles sooner, but I guess I can't change the past. Don't make the same mistakes. It is so worth it to get involved.
