The Votes Are In

2019 Shawnigan Elections
Parliamentary elections took place this week in advance of the 2019 Shawnigan House of Commons. After school-wide voting, the Grade 10 class will head into February's model parliament with a minority Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Jazmin W. The Liberals are currently in negotiations to form a coalition with the NDP, led by Abby D.
 
During Tuesday’s Chapel, Speaker of the House Malcolm S. introduced student party candidates from across the political spectrum. Representing the major federal parties are: Abby D. (New Democratic Party), Vivek R. (Bloc Quebecois), Renee H. (Green Party of Canada), Jazmin W. (Liberal Party of Canada), and Siena V. (Conservative Party of Canada). Candidates addressed the student body, offering a sense of their party’s position on this year’s debate: “The Carbon Tax – should it be implemented in Canada?”
 
In voting results, overseen by Chief Electoral Officer Imran K., the Bloc Quebecois took the popular vote by a wide margin (46 of 127 votes cast), followed by the Green Party (31 votes), Liberals (24 votes), Conservatives (19 votes) and NDP (19 votes). However, under the first-past-the-post voting system, victory went to the Liberals, who earned 40 seats, and will form a minority government. The Conservatives and NDP landed close behind with 34 and 31 seats, respectively. The Bloc finished with 20 seats, and the Greens 16 seats.
 
The model parliament program immerses Grade 10 students in parliamentary procedure, offering a hands-on understanding of the workings of government and the democratic process, as well as a sense of the broad influence politics has in Canadian life. During the program, students read and study Canadian governments past and present, write a position paper from their federal party’s perspective, role-play an MP in the Shawnigan House of Commons, visit the BC Legislature, and observe question period.
 
The 2019 Shawnigan House of Commons will sit on the afternoon of February 21.
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We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.