SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Two Deh Cho students got a taste of what it's like to live a day in the life of a professional politician at a mock youth parliament in Yellowknife earlier this month.

Sylvia Pascua-Matte, Grade 10 student at Thomas Simpson Secondary School, attended this year's youth parliament in Yellowknife. She thinks more students should apply for the opportunity. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

"I thought it was going to be pretty lame and a lot of work," admitted Leah Baptiste, a Grade 9 student in Fort Providence. "But I had a really good time."

Youth from across the territory acted as MLAs or ministers and had to draft up statements to read in front of their peers - and on live TV - in the legislative assembly in Yellowknife.

"I was shaking and I drank like five cups of water in the first hour of the chamber," laughed Baptiste.

Her statement was on the lack of mental health services in the territory.

"I mentioned the lack of mental health services and how many treatment centres are in the territory and how improper some of the services are," said Baptiste.

A debate arose in the chamber at one point about whether more mental health workers should be placed in schools.

"We had a long talk about that motion," said Baptiste.

The counter-argument was that this would take funding away from sports and extra-curricular activities.

Baptiste argued in favour of the motion and her side won.

"I wanted to be a lawyer at some point but then I realized I really liked the idea of working in parliament and government," said Baptiste.

The desire to help people is what drew her interest to government.

"I think I would like to be an MLA," she said.

Sylvia Pascua-Matte, a Grade 10 student from Fort Simpson, made her motion on the territory's Education Renewal plan.

"It's important to me," she said. "I feel like they should bring recognition to what's happening in my community."

Pascua-Matte isn't new to public speaking but presenting in the chamber was still a nerve-racking experience for her.

She's the daughter of Renalyn Pascua-Matte, a village councillor in Fort Simpson.

"You're never going to have people 100 per cent happy all the time," she said about what she's learned from her mom. "You have to make hard decisions that have long-lasting impacts on the community. It's a hard job."

Seeing her mom gives her a different perspective on politics.

"It gives me more of an inside look," said Pascua-Matte. "I am somewhat intrigued by it, but I would have to think very hard if I wanted to do this as a career."

She said few people applied for the program this year and recommends more do in the future.

"It's an experience that really opens you up," she said.

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