Former qathet region resident Abby Head will be serving as premier in the 94th British Columbia Youth Parliament this year.
Head was elected to the position of premier by acclamation after having been nominated for the position. She had been involved in the youth parliament for five years and served on the shadow cabinet for one year and on cabinet for three years.
“I was able to gain a lot of new skills through the organization,” said Head. “I felt that I would be able to put my skills to good use and help mentor future leaders in the organization through becoming premier.”
When she started in BC Youth Parliament, Head was attending grade 11 at Brooks Secondary School. The opportunity came about at Powell River Youth Council.
“I didn’t think I would get accepted but I thought I’d put my name in for fun to see if I could make it,” said Head. “I did get accepted and I decided to attend in December of 2017.”
She attended again in Grade 12 and then went on to University of British Columbia (UBC), where she enrolled in a political science program. She continued to attend the youth parliament, which for the past couple of years, was held via videoconferencing because of COVID-19.
For her premiership, Head will be convening the BC Youth Parliament, just after Christmas, in the BC Legislature.
“I’m very excited to return to the legislative assembly this year and have our conversations in the physical chambers,” said Head.
The youth parliament is a nonprofit organization and there is a board of directors comprised of BC Youth Parliament alumni. Participants age out at 21 years of age. Head said the board of directors is called the senate and they are for the oversight of parliament.
“They help mentor us and help with risk management,” added Head. “They play a role in some of our major projects, ensuring they are successful.”
Parliamentary agenda
In terms of the coming parliamentary session, Head’s cabinet is currently writing legislation.
“What’s significant about youth parliament is that the session creates the agenda for the year and we pass legislation that turns into service projects,” said Head. “My cabinet will be proposing to run Camp Phoenix again, which is a five-day, sleep-away camp for children aged eight to 12 who couldn’t otherwise attend camp for social or financial reasons.
“We are also proposing to run a municipal service council, which is a project that was initiated last year, and those are in five cities in BC. They are a chance for younger youth to come together, to plan service projects, and execute them in their communities.”
Additionally, regional youth parliaments are also a major project. They are weekend-long parliamentary simulations for high school students to learn about parliamentary procedure and government.
There will also be a supply act, which includes youth parliament’s financial practices, as well as budget and revenue plans.
In order to properly prepare activities for the December youth parliament session, the cabinet will be holding a legislation weekend, which takes place later this month.
Head is hoping qathet region students attend BC Youth Parliament this year. She said she loves to see this area represented at the session.
“I do really hope we have a few members come,” added Head. “We feel like everyone belongs in youth parliament. If you don’t feel you know enough but you’re really interested, we have something for everyone to get involved in.
“The skills you learn, such as debating legislation, thinking critically, and breaking down big ideas – that is worthwhile and can translate to so many different jobs and so many different roles that you will take on. It’s a fantastic life experience.”
Head said great connections are made. Participants meet 97 youth from around the province and it’s an excellent way to network and connect with other youth, she added.
“I’ve made some of my best friends through BC Youth Parliament,” said Head. “A lot of us go to UBC together now.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet people and make connections.”
Head said BC Youth Parliament is a year-long commitment and the parliamentary session is just the beginning. Because they pass their service projects at the parliamentary session, participants have to implement them. She said there will be cabinet meetings on a biweekly basis to ensure all of the projects are taking off and going as planned.
In terms of parliamentary decorum, Head said those in the legislature follow Westminster parliamentary procedure as well as their own standing orders.
“We have a lot of fun, but we mimic the procedure of the legislative assembly,” said Head. “Youth parliament even has a question period, which is typically fun.”
Future aspirations
BC Youth Parliament appears to have laid groundwork for Head’s vocational aspirations. After completing her bachelor’s degree in political science, she hopes to move on to a masters program in public policy. She then would like to work as a policy analyst, informing policy decisions.
“That’s kind of my interest right now,” said Head. “The courses I’ve taken at UBC on public policy, and what I’ve done in youth parliament, seeing the impact of legislation on the community, have been factors.”
In the fourth year of her bachelor’s program, Head is enrolled in a co-op work experience program as well as participating in classroom studies, so she will not complete her degree until December 2023. She completed co-op placement in 2021 in a communications role at an information technology company.
“I gained some awesome skills and I really enjoyed that,” said Head. “For my next one, I’m hoping to work in the government sector. I think co-op is super-beneficial for your future employment and just being able to apply what you learn in the classroom to workplaces.”
Head said being premier of youth parliament is a great honour. Growing up in this community has given her a lot of skills and experience that have equipped her for the role, she added.
“I’m very nervous going in,” she added, “but I’m confident we will collectively be able to run a successful year.”
