B.C. Legislative Internship Program

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Background

The British Columbia Legislative Internship Program was established in January 1976, patterned after the Parliamentary Internship Program introduced in the Canadian House of Commons in 1969. Faculty members of the then three major universities in British Columbia initiated the program. The program continues to be advised by the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria and the University of Northern British Columbia. The program is open to recent graduates of all BC universities and university colleges.

Objectives

The program offers an opportunity to Canadian university graduates to supplement their academic training by observing the daily workings of the Legislature first hand, and to provide Members of the Legislative Assembly with additional assistance during the parliamentary session. The ministry and caucus assignments are designed to provide exposure to public policy-making and legislative processes. Interns will acquire skills and knowledge they can apply in their chosen careers and future life experiences. In the long term, it is expected that Interns will contribute to a greater public understanding and appreciation of our system of parliamentary government.

Organization

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia currently funds ten Intern positions. The program commences in January of each year and runs for approximately 25 weeks, until the end of June. Actual program start and completion dates are determined each year by the Program Director.

The program begins with an orientation week where Interns meet with elected and appointed officials of the Legislature. Following the orientation, Interns are placed with a sponsoring ministry for four weeks with a Mentor. These assignments provide an opportunity for the Interns to learn about the mandate and scope of the ministry as well as to conduct research projects in policy and planning areas. Interns often have the opportunity to research and draft legislation for the upcoming parliamentary session.

Following the ministry assignment, Interns are assigned to a party caucus. Caucus assignments vary and may include writing speeches, private member’s statements and questions for Question Period, as well as researching topics within the area of responsibility of a Member.

Interns are encouraged to attend Question Period and parliamentary committee meetings of the Legislature as often as their assignments allow. At the end of the program, Interns are expected to prepare a newspaper for distribution throughout the Legislative Assembly related to their internship experience.

Administration

The Legislative Internship Program is sponsored by the Office of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Academic Director is Dr. Patrick Smith of Simon Fraser University. The Program Director is Karen Aitken of the Public Education and Outreach office in the Legislative Assembly.

Note: Due to the nature of assignments within the Legislative Assembly, the Directors of the B.C. Legislative Internship Program may be required to modify the program to meet the Assembly’s needs. It may also be necessary to make decisions concerning assignments of individual Interns and their place in the B.C. Legislative Internship Program. All decisions with regard to the program remain the responsibility of the Directors. Decisions are final.

Benefits to the Intern

The benefits of participating in the program are both professional and educational. Interns have an opportunity for a unique learning experience in the field of public affairs during their ministry and legislative assignments. In addition, they are able to observe the daily workings of the Legislature and supplement their theoretical knowledge about the role of the provincial legislature and parliamentary democracy through direct participation in the daily routine of Members of the Legislative Assembly.

Arrangements may be made to obtain credit towards a Master of Arts Degree in political science, at the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. To be eligible for credit, candidates must have made all necessary arrangements with the Graduate Student Advisor of the political science department involved, and must have been accepted for degree candidacy by the relevant graduate schools prior to commencing their internship.

Applications

The program is intended for permanent B.C. residents who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants and have obtained a Bachelor's Degree from a Canadian university or B.C. university-college in the two-year period prior to the program commencement date. Application is typically made during the student’s final undergraduate year; however, applicants must have graduated prior to participating in the program. Applicants are expected to have a reasonable familiarity with the governing process of British Columbia and are expected to be willing to participate effectively in assignments with any party caucus.

Applications are completed on-line. See below for further instructions.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their application is complete. This includes:

All on-line applications must be complete prior to the application deadline of Wednesday, January 31, 2007. Late applications will not be considered.

Selection

Applications are screened and short-listed by the Program and Academic Directors. Approximately 20 applicants are invited to attend an interview. The program selection panelists include a professor from a political science departments of a British Columbia university, the Academic Director and the Program Director. Interviews are usually held in February over a two-day period in Victoria and/or Vancouver.

Selection is based upon a range of considerations, the most significant being the applicant’s academic achievements, maturity, interpersonal skills and an interest in British Columbia’s governing process. The program is educational in intent.

Notification to candidates regarding their status is sent by mail shortly after the interview period. Interview travel costs may be reimbursed by the program as outlined in an invitation to interview letter.

Personal Requirements

It is expected that successful candidates will act in a professional and mature manner during the internship. Interns must agree to maintain the confidentiality of the workplace and respect confidences disclosed to them in the course of their internship. Interns must behave in a non-partisan fashion and refrain from outside political activity for the duration of the program.

Remuneration

Legislative Interns are auxiliary employees of the Legislative Assembly. Remuneration is reviewed each year by the Program Director and the Legislative Comptroller and approved by the Speaker. For the 2007 program, the Interns remuneration is set for $17,667.00 for six months.

Seminars and Special Visits

Academic seminars, arranged by the Academic Director, feature presentations by academics and other specialists on timely topics of interest to the Interns.

Bi-weekly discussion groups offer Interns the time to develop and plan their Constituency Week assignment, educational visit to Vancouver and year-end newspaper.

Based on available funding, visits to other Legislatures have been a part of the program. In turn, B.C. Interns have hosted other provincial and American Interns and had the opportunity to compare views based upon their experiences in the various Legislatures. This creates a pool of citizens better informed about the similarities and differences characteristic of the regions that make up the face of Canadian federalism.

Former Interns

In 2006, the program celebrated its 30th anniversary with special guests and events that were well attended by alumni. Former Interns have established themselves in a variety of professions including politics, law, academia, journalism, the public service and government relations. Remember to keep your contact information up-to-date for the Alumni database by e-mailing any changes to BCLIPAlumni@leg.bc.ca.

BCLIP Academic Advisors:

Professor Patrick Smith Academic Director Simon Fraser University E-mail: psmith@sfu.ca
Professor Barbara Arneil Department of Political Science University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC  Email: arneil@interchange.ubc.ca	Professor Matthew James Department of Political Science University of Victoria Victoria, BC Email: mattjame@uvic.ca
Professor Andrew Heard Department of Political Science Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC Email: aheard@sfu.ca	Professor Boris DeWiel Department of Political Science University of Northern British Columbia Prince George, BC Email: dewielb@unbc.ca

 

How to Apply

Step 1	Complete the Application Form. You will receive an automatic electronic response when your application is received. The response will provide you with an individual tracking number. Print this page and provide the individual tracking number to your three referees.
Step 2	Ensure you have attached your personal resume with the application.
Step 3	Order your official sealed academic transcript from your Registrar requesting that it be mailed directly to: B.C. Legislative Internship Program Public Education & Outreach Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Room 144, Parliament Buildings Victoria BC V8V 1X4
Step 4	Ask three (3) professors/instructors to complete the on-line Academic Referee Form. Remember to give them your individual tracking number. Once all three Academic Referee forms have been received, you will receive an automatic electronic notification advising you that your application is complete.
Note:	All on-line applications must be complete prior to the application deadline of Wednesday, January 31, 2007. Late applications will not be considered.