All Members of Parliament representing officially recognized parties are eligible to host a Parliamentary Intern except for cabinet ministers, party leaders, and the Speaker.

The Canadian Political Science Association has managed the Programme in cooperation with the House of Commons since the Programme was established with all-party support in 1969. To show our commitment to  non-partisanship, each intern must work for one MP in government and one MP in opposition during two separate allocation periods. Parliamentary Interns are allocated among opposition parties based on their representation in the House. In the current Parliament, there will be six interns with Liberal MPs, four with Conservative MPs, one with an NDP MP, and one with a BQ MP during each allocation period.

Interns work closely with their MPs and their staff. They often assist with committee work – reviewing reports, meeting with advocates, drafting questions, and assisting in pre-committee and committee meetings. They also prepare questions and speeches for House debates, write editorials and press releases, and help draft Private Members Bills. MPs regularly invite interns to visit their constituencies, where they are called on assist with casework, public consultations and community meetings.

The interns interview all interested MPs who apply to host an intern (typically 60 – 70 per year). The interns then select their government and opposition placements as a group based on their own policy interests.

 

MP placements 2023-24

The Parliamentary Interns, the Parliamentary Internship Programme, and its stakeholders thank all the MPs who applied for interns this year and, most especially, those hosting interns in their offices. 

During their first period (October 4, 2023 – February 9, 2024), the allocations are:  

  • Vance Badawey (LIB), Niagara Centre, ON – Intern Jared Borgersen
  • Luc Berthold (CPC), Mégantic—L’Érable, QC – Intern Jean-Samuel Houle
  • Kody Blois (LIB), Kings-Hants, NS – Intern Sahib Dhaliwal
  • Valerie Bradford (LIB), Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON Intern Katie Campbell
  • Frank Caputo (CPC), Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, BC Intern Camille Cournoyer
  • Pam Damoff (LIB), Oakville North—Burlington, ON – Intern Rodney Stehr
  • Iqwinder Gaheer (LIB), Mississauga—Malton, ON – Intern Cynthia Huo
  • Adam van Koeverden (LIB), Milton, ON – Intern Arianne Joyce Padillo
  • Sébastien Lemire (BQ), Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC Intern Ahdithya Rajan Visweswaran
  • Branden Leslie (CPC), Portage—Lisgar, MB – Intern Michael Nolan
  • Heather McPherson (NDP), Edmonton Strathcona, AB – Intern Paulina Chan
  • Michelle Rempel Garner (CPC), Calgary Nose Hill, AB – Intern Catherine Despatie

Their second allocation period (February 12 – June 18, 2024), the allocations are:

  • Jenica Atwin (LIB), Fredericton, NB – Intern Catherine Despatie 
  • Taylor Bachrach (NDP), Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC – Intern Arianne Joyce Padillo
  • Michael Chong (CPC), Wellington—Halton Hills, ON – Intern Cynthia Huo
  • Terry Duguid (LIB), Winnipeg South, MB – Intern Paulina Chan
  • Andy Fillmore (LIB), Halifax, NS – Intern Camille Cournoyer
  • Marilène Gill (BQ), Manicouagan, QC – Intern Rodney Stehr
  • Jasraj Singh Hallan (CPC), Calgary Forest Lawn, AB – Intern Sahib Dhaliwal
  • Matt Jeneroux (CPC), Edmonton Riverbend, AB – Intern Katie Campbell
  • Melissa Lantsman (CPC), Thornhill, ON – Intern Jared Borgersen
  • Marie-France Lalonde (LIB), Orléans, ON – Intern Jean-Samuel Houle
  • Charles Sousa (LIB), Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON Intern Michael Nolan
  • Patrick Weiler (LIB), West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast —Sea to Sky Country, BC Intern Ahdithya Rajan Visweswaran

 

“The Parliamentary Internship Programme is an exceptional program that offers a work-study experience for university graduates while at the same time providing Members of Parliament with the highest qualified assistants. These non-partisan interns participate fully in the parliamentary process and contribute to our Canadian democracy. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with many of the interns during my time as a Member of Parliament and cannot stress how valuable an asset this program is to Members’ offices.”

James Bezan, MP

Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman

“As a former Parliamentary Internship Programme intern from the class of 1994-95, I am personally familiar with the benefits and opportunities that this program gives young Canadians while working for Members of Parliament here in Ottawa.  I have long been a supporter of PIP and since being elected in 2015, I’ve had the benefit of having 2 PIP interns work in my office.  Both interns provided me with invaluable, professional and unmatched non-partisan research, writing and office support.  The quality of the candidates who become PIP interns, selected through a highly competitive national process, means that only the “cream of the crop” are selected.  This is evidenced by the work I’ve seen them perform in my office but also in the research projects they undertake and that I have been happy to support and promote.  PIP was essential to my education and training, and allowing me to get where I am today and I would encourage all MPs to participate in this program and would encourage all young Canadians with an interest in Government to apply.”

Arif Virani, MP

Parkdale-High Park