In the hotseat
Local MLA addresses issues in student forum
February 8, 2007
Lauren Thompson
Provincial politics made their way onto campus last Thursday as Langley MLA Mary Polak addressed students in an “MLA Hotseat” forum.
The politician and local single mother met students in Fraser lounge for an informal question and answer session in order to facilitate discussion about local issues and concerns.
“I love engaging in dialogue with the young people,” Polak told Mars’ Hill, before the forum. “For a local rep, it’s really important to find ways in which to interact with the people you serve.”
Aside from participating in dialogue, Polak also desired to inspire young people to take an active role in politics, and the communities they are involved with.
“We all contribute in some way to the world around us,” she said.
Polak began the evening by addressing the small crowd of less than a dozen students on the benefits of having MLA’s engaging the Trinity Western University community.
Using her experiences growing up in Cloverdale, serving on the Surrey School Board, and her current work in Victoria, Polak fielded questions concerning transit, housing, immigration, and abortion.
Much of the discussion dealt with the problems of congestion on the highways, B.C.’s optimistic Gateway project, and the possibility of improving mass transit. Polak cited ever-present “money issues” as being at the base of the many needed improvements in this area.
As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, she also lent her expertise on many issues concerning the B.C. Healthcare system, calling for a close scrutiny of ethics in healthcare.
“People have to get comfortable expressing and supporting their views on [controversial issues],” she said, adding that it is essential for people to keep asking questions. “The main question [in healthcare] is, who should pay for what, and why?”
The night ended with pizza, pop, and a hopefully more informed crowd.
“Part of what we want to do is help people understand what we do,” she said. Despite the low turnout, Polak said she hopes her appearance on campus will encourage other MLA’s to visit campus in the future to participate in similar forums.
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