by Kasinee Templeton

During my first year of university I was lucky enough to have had the chance to work as a page in the House of Commons. Pages work under the guidance of a fantastic team of supervisors, and deliver anything from water or a pen to speeches or important documents to members of Parliament during governmental proceedings. I worked fifteen hours per week while taking four courses, but, despite my initial worries, it was a manageable workload for a first-year university student. We were paid $11 690 over the course of the year (plus a $1200 bonus at the end!), including periods when we did not work, such as Christmas vacation, during the prorogation, and even during the summer when the House wasn’t sitting! But we were also on call and expected to report for duty at any time; for example, if the House decided to sit late, or for an emergency during expected break times.

 

 

So, what was a typical day like as a page? Well, if you turn on the television to the Parliamentary channel, you will get the gist of it: a number of speeches and debates, which are very informative, especially if you’re interested in the subject. But just like with every job, there were times when work was quiet, and we pages found ourselves eager for any task we could carry out.