Shakthi's Legislative Placement with Legislative Research

Between September 22 and October 17, I had the privilege of working with the Legislative Research Branch at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This experience offered a unique perspective into the intersection of policy and politics, as well as the non-partisan role research plays in the democratic process.

As a knowledge center in Queen’s Park, Legislative Research publishes publicly accessible Provincial Affairs Briefings (PABs), addresses confidential queries posed by Members of Provincial Parliament, supports committees, and develops Conference Papers on various topics of interest. Aligning myself with the generalist approach of the Research Officers, I examined a diverse selection of subjects, such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across different governments, historic establishments and closures of courts and correctional facilities, and legislation relating to areas of natural and scientific interest (ANSI). I also had the opportunity to attend various meetings hosted by members of the assembly, including: the AI Team where we investigated how Ontario’s Legislature is incorporating artificial intelligence; and the Knowledge Exchange where staff debriefed the domestic and international parliamentary conferences they attended over the year. Altogether, it was an incredibly intellectually stimulating environment where I simultaneously broadened my breadth of understanding for nuanced issues, refined my target interests, and, most valuably, came to understand how Legislative Research supports the short- and long-term proceedings of Parliament.

Crowning my time with Legislative Research were the vast variety assignments I had the opportunity to work on, including cross-jurisdictional scans, specialized reports, and memorandums. Upon completing my term, I am particularly proud to share that I co-authored an update to the Great Lakes PAB and incorporated the topic of Ontario-U.S. maritime trade. Each of these projects invoked their own respective skillsets, ranging from comparative analysis to scoping per inquiry, and they collectively refined my pre-existing foundations to new heights.

I want to conclude this addressee with a sincere thank-you to my Supervisor, Alex Alton, whose mentorship and willingness to engage my interests enriched my navigation of this legislative sphere. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Director, Michael Morden; Managers, Susan Viets and Carrie Hull; as well as Nick, Sude, Heather, Pia, James, Sandra, Dmitry, Ava, Ellen, Erica, Michael, Andrew, Frank, Lauren, Amanda, and Tamara. It was an incredibly informative placement, and over the course of our conversations both within and outside the office, I gained rich insights into the legislature, academia, and the many values and applications of research. This was an experience I will certainly never forget.