YELLOWKNIFE - The debates were constructive, the voting close and if one closed their eyes for a moment and simply listened, the proceedings in the Legislative Assembly last Thursday resembled any other business day on the floor of the house.

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden hands Angus Wilson the legislative reins as the assembly welcomed students for the NWT's annual Youth Parliament Session last Thursday. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

The only difference being last week's session was conducted by the territories' budding politicians who took part in the annual Youth Parliamentary Session.

"It was fun to be participating in the debate," said Premier-for-a-day Victoria Merrit who works regularly at the assembly as a page.

"So many times while working I've thought to myself, 'if only I could insert my idea.'"

Merrit, along with 18 other youth parliamentarians from around the North, got to express their ideas on how to make the NWT a better place. While all the young politicians represented their ridings will skill and grace, some had their own style and others borrowed a page or two from their MLA-mentors' play-book.

"I had a little help from Mr. Dent on the topics," said Shaun Thagard, who took over as education minister. "But on a lot of issues, I do agree with him."

This remark generated some good-natured ribbing from colleague Johnathon Keizer, Thebacha MLA-for-a-day.

"You can call him mini-Dent," said Keizer.

But with Keizer lobbying hard in the legislature for the completion of chip sealing on Hwy 5, some may have mistaken him for a mini-Miltenberger.

"Well, we have to keep on this one," quipped the real Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger. "Who knows, when Johnathon gets here for real, the job might actually be finished."

All joking aside, participants debated two interesting motions; one for mandatory treatment for youth drug and alcohol addicts and one for equal representation, which if passed would see the house's 19 seats doubled with each riding represented by a male and female member.

The mandatory treatment motion passed, while equal representation lost by a narrow margin; an interesting result considering the goal of this year's youth parliament was to get equal representation among participants. Sixteen of the 19 members-for-a-day were female, nearly the opposite of the assembly's current reality of 17 male and two female MLAs.

"I think women can get into politics without having to reserve seats for them," said Merrit, who voted against equal representation. "Things are naturally changing and today you see more and more women in many careers they weren't in before."

But one thing that will never change in politics is the range of opinions waiting to be heard.

"We were more opinionated than we really thought we were," said Rebecca Robertson. "But that's politics."