Socialism Starts at School

As a high school student, I am taking part in a "Model PEI Legislature" along with 26 other students from all over PEI.

First thing they did was divide the students up into "opposition party" and "government party" randomly. I was chosen to be on the opposition.

We went into our caucuses and established our leaders and our ministers/critics. I was unanimously chosen to be Finance critic. I am happy that I got this position because I have a feeling that if I didn't, we would be the communist party. I was the sole defender of the free market.

I proposed a motion to reduce the PST in PEI to my caucus. They claimed that we have to raise it instead because of the debt. I pointed out that PEI has the highest PST and that by raising it, the government will spend the revenue somewhere else while hurting the economy: not helping the debt in any way. I said that the best way to reduce the debt is to cut spending.

Then, instead of coming back with real debate, I was called a "right wing- capitalist who hates the poor". And then, the debate was over; they moved on to a new topic.

As Finance critic, I managed to get one free market idea put into the party policy. The party now supports abolishing the IRAC (island regulatory appeals commission) - the agency that regulates gas and other prices. It wasn't easy to get this policy in, but even when I did get it passed, it was put at the VERY BOTTOM of the priority list. (I also need to point at that the fourth on the list is lifting the ban on homosexual men donating blood).

So now, I am finance leader of a party that doesn't support smart economics. The government paid lawyer that was at the function even said that "cost is not an issue when you are creating your policies". I don't know how someone could be serious in saying this, seeing how PEI spends TWO-THIRDS (66.7%) of its GDP on government expenditures.

I enjoyed this function, but when I go back in February to actually debate in the Legislature, it is going to be tough.

I think that we need to focus our resources on educating our kinds in smart politics. I have tried hard to teach my friends and classmates about good government, but I don't think that's not enough. If these kids are the politicians of tomorrow, tomorrow is gunna suck.