From January 3 to 6, five young students from Vaudreuil-Soulanges set off for the National Assembly in Quebec City. The aim of this visit to the provincial capital was to discover the backstage workings of our democracy by taking part in the Student Parliament. Among them were Thierry Charlebois from Vaudreuil-Dorion and Louis-Éric Masse from Saint-Lazare. 

The former grew up in Vaudreuil-Dorion and is studying law at the Université de Montréal, where he is currently completing his 2nd year of a three-year program. Passionate about politics, he didn't hesitate to jump into the Student Parliament project after being recruited by friends. 

“I was told I had the right profile to take part and that I'd probably be good at it. I'm very interested in Quebec politics, so I thought it would be fun to take part in this parliamentary simulation. Especially as it was held in the real place where democracy is exercised every day,” he says on the other end of the phone. 

The second  spent some of his youth in Saint-Lazare before his family moved to Vaudreuil-Dorion. Although he now lives in Montreal, Louis-Éric Masse still has roots in the region. He comes from a family that has been deeply involved in provincial and federal politics for decades. 

“I didn't feel obliged to join the Student Parliament, but let's just say that politics is a subject we discuss a lot around the table at home (laughs). My father is a chief of staff in Ottawa and my sister is a political attaché in Quebec City. I'm a bit like Obelix with the magic potion, I fell into the political pot when I was young,” illustrates Louis-Éric, whose grandfather Marcel Masse was Quebec's Delegate General in Paris, Minister of National Defense under Brian Mulroney and a member of both levels of government. 

As a child, while his friends imitated comedians, Louis-Éric would impersonate Mario Dumont or Stephen Harper.  

A place steeped in history to make the simulation more real 

The adventure, which the two young men describe as a super experience, took place in the very precincts of the Quebec Parliament, the cradle of provincial politics, where all the decisions that have marked our history have been taken by successive governments.It's a place that inspired the young parliamentarians when they took part in the Student Parliament.
“It's impressive to be inside this historic building. It's unsettling at first. It's the last bastion of the French-speaking world when you think about it. It's our culture, our values that are represented here, and for which we've been fighting for decades. There are pictures of prime ministers on the walls. It's a historic and magnificent place,” shares Thierry, still marked by his visit to 1150 Honoré-Mercier Avenue. 

For this 38th edition of the Quebec Student Parliament (QSP), Thierry and Louis-Éric were members of the Red caucus, which faced the Blue caucus. During their time in Parliament, the young political enthusiasts presented six bills, two budgets and two book projects, covering health, the economy, the environment, education and justice. The two caucuses took it in turns to form the government and the official opposition.

“Initially, my role was that of an MP. I was also responsible for drafting the questions asked during Question Period and distributing them to our caucus members before we entered the House that morning. Then, the roles were reversed and suddenly, I was one of those who had to answer questions asked by the opposition. I was the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity. Personally, I preferred this second role, as it's more playful and incisive. You don't know what the questions are going to be about, and it's a great way to see if a minister knows his files or not. It's rewarding and very instructive, as well as giving us a better understanding of the inner workings of our policy and what we don't see as much on TV,” says Thierry. 

For his part, Louis-Éric says he has also learned a lot. “I now know what an MP, a whip and a House leader do. The latter is the one who makes sure that the speeches made in the House have a good lexicon and that they're not unparliamentary. We get to see both sides of the coin, which is really interesting. I can tell what a commission is, what a budget is, and I've seen the other side of the picture. It's been a very enriching experience and I've loved going back to Parliament. It's always impressive.” 

For his part, Louis-Éric was the Member of Parliament for Dubuc, a riding in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region, in addition to chairing a commission on agriculture. The young man confides that he and his colleagues from the Student Parliament didn't get much sleep during their time in Quebec City. 

“We sit in the House from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from 8 p.m. to midnight, we're in parliamentary committee. By the time we had to correct the speeches for the next day, we were in bed in the wee hours of the morning, but it was worth it.”

Louis-Éric is very proud to have taken part in this exercise, especially as the bills tabled as part of the Student Parliament will become part of the archives of the National Assembly.  

While the trip to Quebec City may be short for the Student Parliament participants, their involvement in the project is longer-term. “Before going there, we have to think about the bills we want to propose, draft them and correct them. It's an involvement that lasts a few months and requires time and travel. Once you're there, you pay for your own transportation, lodging and meals. This represents a few hundred dollars. Luckily, the MP for Vaudreuil, Marie-Claude Nichols, gave me a sum from her Volunteer Support envelope. It covered a good part of my expenses. I'd like to thank her. She was very generous and even came to say hello during the Student Parliament,” adds Thierry, who despite his family name, is not related to former Soulanges MP Lucie Charlebois. 

Although he loved his experience, Thierry isn't ready to jump into the political arena...at least not yet. “Yes, I have the passion, the youth, the drive and the energy, but I don't have the commitment, the dedication or the maturity to take on such an important role. Maybe that will come with age. I'm not saying no at any other time in my life,” says the 21-year-old future lawyer. 

For the time being, Thierry intends to complete his law studies before enrolling in the École du Barreau, a course lasting around 18 months. After that, he will enter the job market. He would like to specialize in commercial litigation. 

For his part, Louis-Éric opted for a career in journalism after completing high school at Collège Bourget in Rigaud. After two years at Gérald-Godin in Humanities, he headed for Jonquière to study Media Arts and Technology (ATM). 

In his role as parliamentarian, he particularly appreciated being subjected to the fourth power, which also has a place in the Student Parliament. Every day, the Journalists' Caucus produces two separate print newspapers and video reports to fuel debate throughout the simulation. 

“We were subjected to daily scrums just like real parliamentarians. That's when we understand what politicians' lives are like. It shows us both sides of the coin.” 

Both Thierry and Louis-Éric recommend that young students interested in politics sign up for the Student Parliament. “It's a great way to show that our generation is interested in what's going on back home, in our values, traditions and issues. It's a great way to meet people,” says Thierry. 

“It's a great experience for young political enthusiasts who are ready to get involved and put in the hours. If you're not into politics, you're going to find it takes a long time. Personally, I'm going to do it again next year,” concludes Louis-Éric.  

The other participants from Vaudreuil-Soulanges at the Student Parliament were: Éloise Bricault and Ophélie Van Neste for the Bleu.e.s. caucus, and William Thériault who was a member of the Rouges caucus.