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As an official Page... Fourteen year old Erica Hiemstra sure has had her eyes opened up to the wacky, wonderful world of politics. She knows which politicians say thanks and which ones don't, she's figured out who the cute ones are and who is the most obnoxious. She's been wined and dined by some prominent politicians and ordered around by others. In short, she was a page at Queen's Park and loved it. "I like everything!"' the smiling Nestleton teenager enthuses. The only thing she didn't like was the uniforms, wool and polyester bell-bottom suits with velvet ties (*""They're gross, they really are."), but she could live with them for the slightly more than five weeks she spent rubbing elbows with the folks at the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Just nabbing the job was a thrill in itself, Erica says. She applied more than a year ago and was re- jected for last year's session. Queen's Park receives more than 500 applications each year and only 112 young people are chosen (spread evenly over 125 ridings across the province). She was warned she might not even make it in this year's session and in fact she'd almost forgotten about it when she received an accep- tance letter in March. "I freaked out!"' she recalls, grin- ning from ear to ear. I told my Dad and he said, "no there must be some kind of mistake!" There was no mistake, though. Erica was in. Which is an honour all by itself. Not only are pages spread across "the province (because Erica was a page this year, chances are there won't be another youth chosen from this riding for years to come), but other qualifications are looked at carefully. First off, all candidates must be in either Grades 7 or 8 (Erica just graduated from grade eight at Cart- wright Central Public School). Secondly, they must have a grade average of at least 80 per cent. And OPEN: Mon. to Fri. 8to 5 Allen's Sidin PRODUCTS LTD. (formerly Chris Allen Aluminum) REACH INDUSTRIAL PARK REGIONAL RD. 8 - PORT PERRY ALUMINUM & VINYL - tilt for easy cleaning - install in existing frames - casement bay, bow side sliders Erica discovers Queen's Park on top of everything else, they must answer questions about why they want to be a page and what their in- terest in politics is. "I wanted to see the debates and find out more about how it all is §- she said. rica would also like to be a lawyer some day and wouldn't mind being a politician either ("It's cross- ed my mind but it's a long way off'). When she heard the news she was accepted, the work wasn't over yet. Before she even stepped foot on Queen's Park property she was told to memorize all the names of everyone in the house, all the pro- cedures and all the customs. A page is basically a servant of the MPP's and is required to deliver bills, motions, reports, petitions, water, messages and whatever else an MPP might need while in session. Alot of the time, the page will find him or herself taking bills, motions, reports or whatever back and forth from an MPP to the Speaker. And it's not just a matter of walking across the floor--Procedure must be followed. Pages can't, for example, cross between the Speaker and the Mace, a gold sceptre laid on the Clerk's table. Both the Speaker and the Mace represent authority and "If you pass between them, you're sup- posedly splitting authority," Erica explains. And when a page delivers a message to the Speaker, he or she must leave the platform, down a flight of stairs, backwards, and then bow at the bottom. Speaking of walking, pages are not allowed to walk in front of an MPP when he or she is speaking, otherwise the page will block the television cameras and the MPP's face. "We did that on purpose anyways sometimes,' Erica says, smiling, "just to be on TV." Picking up empty water glasses even has its share of pomp and circumstance. "You're not allowed to carry emp- i WINDOWS .. and many more styles. SHUTTERS -- WINDOWS Enjoy the Summer RAINBOW ROOMS surrounded by Sunshine! Call today for more information. Variety of Colours "YOUR ONE STOP ALUMINUM NEEDS" IN STOCK - Siding, Soffit , Eavestrough - 5" Seamless Supply only or Supply & Install For more information and Free Estimates ... Call Mike or Rob 985-3747 nde. se adilin. fue a alge ds tala hl | liad PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, July 22, 1986 -- 15 Erica Hiemstra and MPP Ross Stevenson ty glasses in your hands. You have to take them away on a silver tray," she says. . Of course, when pages are on the dias near the Speaker, they are re- quired to sit when the Speaker sits, and stand when the Speaker stands. And, to top it all off, it is the page's job to be as unnoticeable as possible. "There are more formalities than you would think," Erica says. "It's like, you do it this way because it's always been done that way." In sharp contrast to the for- malities of the page's job is the in- formality of Question Period and the behaviour of the MPP's themselves. "The only time they really get boring if when they're debating," she says frankly. Erica was impressed with all the MPP's. Most if not all of them treated her nicely and all but one said thank-you for every errand she ran for them. "Except Bob Rae," she says. "He never says thank-you." Admittedly, thought, "I liked the Tories the best. They were the nicest to me. I liked Larry Grossman a lot and I like Mr. Stevenson, especial- ly when he gets mad. Oh, He just yells at them!" She admired Bette Stephenson for the same reason. "She can just put them in their place by just looking at them," Erica says. "She has this cold stare." The most obnoxious MPP, accor- ding to Erica, was David Cook. "I think he's kind of chauvinistic- -the way he talks to the women. It's his manner, I guess." And she wasn't really thrilled with David Peterson either. '""'He never really answered anything. He just shrugged it off or talked around it,"' she says. The best-looking MPP's, Erica says, are Cam Jackson and Phil Gillies. She even made a few comments about the press gallery. "They'd stand up there and laugh at the members, swear, and ta.k with them," she recalls. "There was this one guy, from either the Star or the Sun, sort of slobbish looking. He must have been a good reporter because he was there every day and seemed to know what was going on. But boy, did he ever have a few things to say. He gave a free opinion or two, that one." Erica started the second session of the 33rd Parliament May 26th and finished late last week. She stayed at relatives and friends' houses in Toronto during the week and had the time of her life. "We were wild!" she says about her escapades with fellow pages, from whose ranks she made a number of new friends. A Gift to Pass On .. When it was nearly over she was a guest of honour at a Speaker's Luncheon and a Lieutenant- - Governor's luncheon, where she received autographs from Speaker Hugh Edighoufer, Lieutenant- Governor Lincoln Alexander, photographs, a beautiful plaque and various other souvenirs. She also ap- peared on TV a couple of times, in- cluding a spot on CFTO's Heartbeat program about the pages at Queen's Park. On top of all this, she was even paid a minimal sum, but she didn't do it for the money. "It was really for the experience,' not the money, and for the fun!" OLD BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS ARE PRECIOUS TO YOU! Now have them restored for the entire family. 10% Discount on Restorations - WITH THIS AD Offer expires August 31, 1986. 60 Water St., A service of -- "GREYSTONE EQUESTRIAN CENTRE 3} Ipholagraphics R.R. 2 -- SHIRLEY ROAD -- PORT PERRY NEW!! 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