About the Programme

• to provide Members of the House of Commons with highly qualified assistants;
• to build on university graduates’ academic grounding by giving them an opportunity to learn about Parliament and federal politics first-hand; and
• to give the Programme’s graduates the skills and knowledge necessary to make a significant contribution to Canadian public life.

The Parliamentary Internship Programme grew out of an initiative of Mr. Alfred Hales, an MP for Wellington from 1957 to 1974. In order that the Programme not be endangered by ‘partisan disputes’, he convinced the Canadian Political Science Association to administer the Programme, with the approval of the Speaker of the House, the House Leaders of all parties and the support of the Donner Canadian Foundation. The first group of ten interns was selected in 1969. The Programme is not associated with the Government of Canada nor with any political party

The interns are selected through a highly competitive process. Many applications are received each year and twenty-five candidates are chosen for telephone interviews. The final selection is based upon:

• academic excellence;
• letters of recommendation;
• demonstrated interest in and knowledge of Canadian parliamentary government and politics;
• evidence of the skills needed to assist a Member of Parliament;
• personal maturity;
• basic understanding of both official languages;
• the candidate’s potential contribution to the Programme; and
• the anticipated benefits for the candidate.

Normally, ten interns are selected each year, funding permitting.

The Selection Committee consists of the Programme Director, the Clerk Assistant House Proceedings of the House of Commons, a representative of the Canadian Political Science Association, a representative of the Société québécoise de science politique, and a former intern

Interns are assigned preparatory reading before their arrival in Ottawa. During the month of September, an orientation is provided consisting of seminars with the staff of the House, scholars, journalists, senior public servants and other experts. This helps to provide an understanding of how the House of Commons and the government are structured and how they function.

Following the orientation period, interns are allocated according to the following formula: five to the Government benches and five to the Opposition benches according to their representation in the House of Commons. Cabinet Ministers and the Leaders of the political parties are excluded. In the new year, a second allocation takes place and the interns move to the opposite side of the Chamber. The interns select their allocations from a list of interested MPs under the guidance of the Programme Director. The work that the interns take on largely depends on the interest areas of the MPs, as well as on the skills and interests of the interns themselves. The tasks generally include research, policy analysis, committee monitoring, communication with constituents, speechwriting, and preparation for question period and other debates.

In addition to the opportunity to learn from practical work experience in the Members’ offices, the Programme, under the supervision of the Director, includes numerous seminars and meetings which further enhance the interns’ understanding of politics and parliamentary government. Over the course of the internship, weekly seminars are held to discuss a range of topics relating to Parliament, and to share reflections on the interns’ first-hand experiences in their Members’ offices.

In addition, regular brown-bag lunches are arranged with public figures – ministers, ambassadors, journalists, academics and others – which offer the interns a unique opportunity to hear, question, discuss and understand the great variety of debates and ideas flowing through Canada’s parliamentary institutions.

journalists and many others, in order to gain a broader perspective on the Canadian parliamentary system. Many interns also visit their Members’ home ridings during the course of their work placements, to see the community side of their work as well. In addition, the Programme hosts a number of interns and fellows from the legislatures of Ontario, Québec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the U.S. Congress, and elsewhere, which allows for an interesting exchange of experiences and perspectives as well.

The interns also engage in an academic research project under the supervision of the Director and produce a final paper. The best one is awarded the $500 Alf Hales prize, named after the Programme’s founder and kindly provided by the Institute on Governance.

Follow this link to see abstracts of the last year's papers.

The interns receive a $20,000 scholarship for a period of ten months, plus subsidized education travel and other considerations. Interns are not allowed to receive remuneration for employment during the ten months of the internships. In recent years the stipend has generally been sufficient to cover basic living expenses, although this remains contingent on funding.