Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 15/02) - The Deh Cho has at least two aspiring members of the legislative assembly.

As part of the annual Youth Parliament, Robyn McLeod, of Fort Providence, and Fort Simpson's Courtney Squirrel were among 19 Grade 10 students who became interim legislators last week.

Robyn McLeod, left, and Courtney Squirrel were in control of the chamber of the legislative assembly last week. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

In the chamber they debated whether to raise the legal drinking age from 19 to 21, but ultimately defeated the motion.

Squirrel, filling the seat of Nahendeh MLA and Minister Jim Antoine, said she was opposed to the proposition. "Raising the drinking age wouldn't do anything," she contended. "The police should be the ones going out there busting the parties."

McLeod, stepping into the shoes of her father, MLA Michael McLeod, was also against raising the age limit to consume alcohol.

"Being 19, I thought you were an adult and you can make adult decisions about alcohol," she said.

McLeod also addressed the issue of water quality at Axe Point, where contaminants exist from a old military base. In her member's statement, she demanded to know what the territorial government plans to do about the situation.

She was quite nervous to start, she admitted.

"I was shaking. I couldn't even read my paper," McLeod said. "He (her father) told me to make notes when we're in the House ... because the first time I talked without any papers in front of me I got really screwed up."

In her minister's statement, Squirrel spoke of the benefits of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline.

"I had a section about the environment, how we'd protect the environment," Squirrel explained. One of Antoine's staff members helped her research the topic, she said.

The junior legislators also took in a movie, went shopping, did some bowling and played soccer.

Squirrel and McLeod are contemplating political careers.

"I was thinking about it ... just the fact of making decisions that could help the North," said Squirrel.

McLeod added, "I want to go into aboriginal politics ... things that affect our government and our people, and how I can change things."