Tag: Rachel Nauta
Elected with Experience: From Local Councils to the Provincial Legislature
Elected with Experience: From Local Councils to the Provincial Legislature
The frequency with which municipal politicians seek elected office at the provincial level is notable. Although each prospective candidate will have their own reasons for wanting to run, their experience on local councils or school boards are often mentioned as prompting them to run for higher office. In this article, the author uses interviews with MPPs who previously held municipal office to explore why these representatives made the switch to provincial politics, how their time on local council helped them to prepare for their new roles, and what differences they’ve identified between serving as elected representatives in these two levels of government. *This article is a revised version of a 2017 Ontario Legislative Internship Programme (OLIP) research paper.
Rachel Nauta
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Protecting our Parliament: The Legislative Protective Service at Queen’s Park
Old Institutions, New Solutions: Supporting Independent MPPs in Ontario’s Assembly
Old Institutions, New Solutions: Supporting Independent MPPs in Ontario’s Assembly
History, tradition, convention and precedents are important to Westminster parliamentary institutions; however, new challenges demand flexibility to adjust the rules and set new precedents when necessary. In this article, the author explains how the Legislative Assembly of Ontario has modified Standing Orders and how the Speaker is using discretion to ensure fair participation by the significant number of MLAs who sit as Independents.
Our Westminster parliamentary institutions date back centuries, yet each new Parliament comes with challenges and changes that require us to adjust the rules and set new precedents.