Retrospective: YPM103

On the final sitting as the bagpipe echoed in the Rotunda and waned to silence, the doors were officially shut on the 103rd Session of the Youth Parliament of Manitoba.

Over the five days of fierce debate, we debated 3 notable pieces of legislation that helped to understand the current events of our nation in a more personal and interactive way. The Chamber was full of engaged members who participated in speaking their thoughts in a historical act drenched in tradition like the past 102 Sessions before them.

The Voters for Open and Transparent Elections Act, a bill dedicated to election reform including a “Last-Past-The-Post” system was passed with 42 yeas, 22 nays, and 16 abstentions. The Child Protection Act, a bill dedicated to standardizing childcare and parenting including a “Child Readiness Test” failed with 27 yeas, 35 nays, and 22 abstentions. The Equity in Education Act, a bill dedicated to education reform, including mandating bilingual and Indigenous language education was passed with 49 yeas, 16 nays, and 22 abstentions. The #TouchNoGrassAct, a joke bill dedicated to brainrot education reform, including a 1200 required brainrot hours per school year failed due to insufficient case filling.

We would like to thank Backbenchers for making the Youth Parliament experience possible and for going above and beyond with their participation. Additionally, we would like to thank Members for their inaugural speeches ranging from comprehensive flag lists, Formula One races, McDonalds, personal royal ancestry, and even more! We would like to thank Cabinet and Executive members who braved through sleep deprivation, printer issues, food transportation, and even more to keep Session running as smoothly as possible. We would like to thank Rowan Hildebrand, Edwin Mugisha Kayonga, Trinity Sperling, Hawa Bangura, and of course our Speaker Josephine Zhao for their commitment to our organization over the past years. Their impact and presence will be felt for years to come.

All good things come to an end, but great things last longer than what they were present for. We hope that the 103rd Session was a great, enjoyable experience for all, and will linger for longer than what Session lasted for. Every year, our goal is to create a community and help the leaders of tomorrow hone their skills they will need to enact change in their communities. We hope that Session has expanded not just the people you interact with, but has also helped grow your identity and thoughts.

As someone who was initially terrified and anxious to join the Youth Parliament of Manitoba but now is inseparable with the community and experience, my message is the same as our Speaker:  Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Signing off,

Clyron Elijah Hernandez – Minister of Communications – 103rd Session