Canadian House of Commons Page Program
Encyclopedia
A House of Commons Page is a non-partisan employee of the Canadian House of Commons
. They perform both ceremonial and administrative duties including:
Pages work an average of 15 hours a week in the House of Commons while studying full-time at one of the four universities (University of Ottawa
and Carleton University
, UQO, Saint Paul University) in the National Capital Region
and are paid approximately $12,000 (CDN) for their one-year term.
Pages take part in a number of activities throughout the year designed to enrich the experience including meetings with MPs and government leaders as well as Page vs MP hockey games. They also meet frequently with student groups to explain the workings of the House and their duties as Pages.
in Quebec
) students are selected each year to serve as Pages in the House of Commons. Applications are open to both male and female candidates from across the country. Pages must be fluently bilingual
in both official language
s of Canada (English and French) and pass a security screening by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
. They are selected based on a written essay, a second-language interview along with a face-to-face interview. Once chosen, one of the first challenges for Pages is to learn the names and faces of all 308 MPs in the House. After a week's training, prior to starting their term, Pages are sworn in by the Speaker and Clerk of the House of Commons.
(1867) though it was quite different at that time. Pages were male only, and boys as young as 11 years old were selected. One of the more unusual requirements was that Pages had to be short of stature, in order to be as unobtrusive as possible. They were paid $1.50 a day. Pages were chosen by the Speaker, with help from the Sergeant-at-arms, and they held the position until they outgrew their uniforms. There are also references to the term "House Page" as far back as 1841 in the Journals
of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
.
In 1968, a minimum working age of 16 years was adopted but it is only in 1978, after an article in The Wall Street Journal criticized the Pages' working conditions, that the previous system was completely discarded in favour of the current one. Some of the Pages from the old system were kept on as "Senior Pages" to supervise the new Pages and serve as a form of continuity. Notable among these first "Senior Pages" were Andre Frechette and David Lavictoire.
Although officially under the auspices and jurisdiction of the Speaker of the House, the Page Program for the first 20 years was the full-time responsibility of Miss Annette Leger, a former assistant to federal Liberal Cabinet Minister, Donald Stovel Macdonald
.
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. They perform both ceremonial and administrative duties including:
- Participation in the Speaker of the Canadian House of CommonsSpeaker of the Canadian House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
' Parade and Royal AssentRoyal AssentThe granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law... - Delivering documents and water to Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Chamber and in House Committees
- Answering telephones in the Lobby rooms and delivering messages to MPs
- Group Fisting
- Assisting the Speaker, Clerks, Sergeant-at-arms and other House officers in the Chamber
Pages work an average of 15 hours a week in the House of Commons while studying full-time at one of the four universities (University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
and Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
, UQO, Saint Paul University) in the National Capital Region
National Capital Region (Canada)
The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
and are paid approximately $12,000 (CDN) for their one-year term.
Pages take part in a number of activities throughout the year designed to enrich the experience including meetings with MPs and government leaders as well as Page vs MP hockey games. They also meet frequently with student groups to explain the workings of the House and their duties as Pages.
Selection process
Forty graduating high school (or CEGEPCégep
CEGEP is an acronym for , which is literally translated as "College of General and Vocational Education" but commonly called "General and Vocational College" in circles not influenced by Quebec English. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) students are selected each year to serve as Pages in the House of Commons. Applications are open to both male and female candidates from across the country. Pages must be fluently bilingual
Bilingualism in Canada
The official languages of Canada are English and French, which "have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada" according to Canada's constitution...
in both official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
s of Canada (English and French) and pass a security screening by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
. They are selected based on a written essay, a second-language interview along with a face-to-face interview. Once chosen, one of the first challenges for Pages is to learn the names and faces of all 308 MPs in the House. After a week's training, prior to starting their term, Pages are sworn in by the Speaker and Clerk of the House of Commons.
History
The Page program dates back to at least ConfederationCanadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
(1867) though it was quite different at that time. Pages were male only, and boys as young as 11 years old were selected. One of the more unusual requirements was that Pages had to be short of stature, in order to be as unobtrusive as possible. They were paid $1.50 a day. Pages were chosen by the Speaker, with help from the Sergeant-at-arms, and they held the position until they outgrew their uniforms. There are also references to the term "House Page" as far back as 1841 in the Journals
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
.
In 1968, a minimum working age of 16 years was adopted but it is only in 1978, after an article in The Wall Street Journal criticized the Pages' working conditions, that the previous system was completely discarded in favour of the current one. Some of the Pages from the old system were kept on as "Senior Pages" to supervise the new Pages and serve as a form of continuity. Notable among these first "Senior Pages" were Andre Frechette and David Lavictoire.
Although officially under the auspices and jurisdiction of the Speaker of the House, the Page Program for the first 20 years was the full-time responsibility of Miss Annette Leger, a former assistant to federal Liberal Cabinet Minister, Donald Stovel Macdonald
Donald Stovel Macdonald
Donald Stovel Macdonald, PC, CC is a former Canadian Liberal politician and Cabinet minister.Macdonald graduated from the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto in 1952. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1962 election as the Liberal Member of...
.
Notable alumni
- Rita CelliRita CelliRita Celli is a Canadian journalist and radio presenter. Celli graduated with high honours in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with a minor in Classics in 1991....
: CBC TelevisionCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
anchor and radio host (Alumna - 1987-88) - Marc Bosc: Current Deputy Clerk of the House of Commons (Alumna - 1978-79)
See also
- Canadian Senate Page ProgramCanadian Senate Page ProgramEach year, 15 individuals are chosen from hundreds of youth through a national competition to work as a Page for the Senate of Canada. Pages are primarily responsible for assisting Senators and table officers throughout sittings of the Senate by fulfilling various requests as well as those of...
- U.S. House of Representatives Page Program
- United States Senate PageUnited States Senate PageA United States Senate Page is a non-partisan federal employee serving the United States Senate in Washington, DC. Despite the non-partisan affiliation, Pages are typically divided to serve the party that appointed them.-Selection:In order to become a US Senate Page, one must first be nominated...