Poli Sci student youngest contestant to compete in front of former PMs

allison martens

Many Concordians were glued to their television sets the evening of Feb. 4, as one of their own vied to become The Next Great Prime Minister.

Taylor Noakes, a second-year Liberal Arts College student, was one of five finalists selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide to appear on the CTV reality television show. Four former prime ministers were the judges.

Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell, Joe Clark and John Turner were inscrutable. “I once got held up at the dépanneur I used to work at. Even that wasn’t as intimidating as being in front of four former prime ministers!” Noakes laughed.

The former leaders quizzed contestants on everything from health care reform to national energy policy. “Because we were in front of a national audience, they knew they couldn’t go soft on us.” Noakes said.

The Montreal native entered the competition after he saw an ad in a student newspaper. He also admits he received a lot of prodding from his girlfriend.

“It was just one of those situations where I realized: ‘Hey, I’m always talking about politics.’ I’m always bouncing ideas off people’s heads, so it seems natural that I enter this.”

The competition was started as an essay contest a decade ago by Frank Stronach (father of Liberal MP Belinda), the founder and chairman of Magna International Inc. This was the first time it was televised.

The winner, Deirdra McCracken of Université Laval, receives a $50,000 prize and a six-month internship split among the corporate, public and non-government sectors arranged by the three sponsors: Magna, the Dominion Institute, and Carleton University’s Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs.

As one of the four runners-up, Noakes will pocket $10,000 and complete a three-month internship.

After experiencing a mild bout of stage fright, Noakes eased into the lively debate. He received a particularly raucous round of applause when he dressed down McCracken’s plan for a two-tier health care system.

“It’s not rocket science” that if doctors are paid more to practice in the private sector, that is where they will go, leaving the public sector to wither, he said.

Overall, Prime Minister Mulroney said the judges were impressed by all the candidates. “Canada’s future is in good hands.”

Noakes is a CSU councillor, and was largely responsible for the recent resurrection of the NDP club on campus. He wishes to promote social policy, perhaps one day as a Member of Parliament.

“I think I’d be doing myself and most of my countrymen a disservice if I didn’t go into politics: I’m not trying to sound overconfident, but I think I represent the views of many Canadians.

“I don’t know many people who would disagree with free health care and free education.”