Students at Elmira’s Riverside Public School learned how the different governments of Canada operate with one another when Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht stopped by the school Tuesday to speak about the responsibilities of the government and how new laws are created.
Addressing a room full of Grade 4 and 5 students, Albrecht spoke for 40 minutes about the three levels of government in Canada, who the major parties in the federal government are and how bills and laws are formed before taking questions from the students.
Before the talk began a student asked if Albrecht had ever met with the prime minister and when he told the student he meets with Stephen Harper on a weekly basis that seemed to set a tone of respect from the students who were hanging on every word the local MP said.
Albrecht explained the process of how laws come into effect while speaking about his work in suicide prevention and how he penned a bill that sought to amend the Criminal Code to prevent predators from exploiting vulnerable Canadians online and encouraging suicide.
It’s not everyday that a member of Parliament pays a visit to a local school and the idea of having Albrecht come to Riverside came from Grade 5 teacher Bruce Rohr whose class is studying government.
“It’s difficult to get our kids out there to experience government so we thought since we can’t go out there maybe we can get people in to come and talk about it,” said Rohr.
The school has also approached a local MPP, the region, the mayor’s office in Woolwich and police officers to come to the school and speak to the children.
“There is nothing like hearing it from someone who has firsthand experience,” said Rohr. “What it does is builds a connection and I hope when the kids are older they are excited by government and go out and vote when they are eligible. I hope we are planting the seed for future voters and I hope they see how the government works for them.”
Before he left Albrecht told the students they were all leaders and encouraged them to work hard at school and at home.
“You don’t have to be up front talking to people to be a leader, sometimes all you have to do to be a leader is to do your best when everyone else isn’t doing their best. We all need to encourage others to be their best and work as hard as you can.”
