UBC offers boot camp for aspiring politicians

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Three well-known former politicians are giving advice at a UBC boot camp to help those wanting to enter the world of politics.

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer Institute for Future Legislators.

Preston Manning, Mike Harcourt, Chuck Strahl are among the big names taking part.

“Campaigning for office and actually governing are two very different things,” explains Political Science Professor Maxwell Cameron. “Some people have argued that politics has become increasingly too much about campaigning and if people are permanently campaigning, it can actually make it more difficult for them to govern well.”

So, what do you need to know to be good at this?

“How to pass a bill, how to represent their constituents, how to manage their constituency office, deal with interest groups, [and] handle the media,” lists Cameron.

The non-partisan program will begin with Saturday workshops in June and July, followed by a week-long model parliament in August. An online component will enable participants from across Canada to watch, submit questions, and interact in real-time.

The Institute is the first step toward a proposed Model Parliament for Canada at UBC and it is open to everyone. The program costs $475.

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