For Immediate Release October 27, 2009

Parliamentary Intern from Ukraine Nears Conclusion of Her Internship with the Office of Ed Komarnicki

Ottawa- The Office of Ed Komarnicki, Member of Parliament has had the privilege of hosting an intern through the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program over the last several weeks. Kateryna Kozachuk from Ostroh, Ukraine is nearing the end of an eight week internship in the office which began on September 15th and will conclude on November 9th.

Ed Komarnicki said the following about Kateryna’s internship in the office:

“It has been a great pleasure to have Kateryna in our office and to participate in the internship program. This was the first time my office and I participated in an internship program. I am happy that we did. It is certainly a worthwhile endeavor both from the perspective of being able to help an intern such as Kateryna learn more about Canada’s parliamentary system and also from what we have learned from the experience. I have met a great young lady that aspires to make a difference in her country and at the same time I have a great future contact in Ukraine.”

Kateryna’s account of her participation in the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program follows:

Nearly two months ago I came to Parliament Hill as an intern with the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program. I have been thoroughly enjoying my internship with my Member of Parliament, Ed Komarnicki.

I am a 4th year student in the Faculty of International Relations at Ostroh University, which is situated in Western Ukraine. My university was established in 1576 and is the oldest one in Eastern Europe. To be chosen for the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program (CUPP), an internship program in the 19th year in the House of Commons, I had to go through an extremely competitive contest. I applied for this program since I have been and I am still convinced that this international internship program brings great benefits to both countries and to my future profession.

The CUPP Program is sponsored by the Chair of Ukrainian Studies Foundation of Toronto and directed by Mr. Ihor Bardyn. CUPP is funded by donations made by individual Canadians, as well as Canadian and USA foundations. It should be noted that the Program started in 1991 and is Canada’s first and longest-standing program of assistance to Ukraine.

This year there are 25 university students representing 14 universities in Ukraine. Each of us was assigned to work with a Member of Parliament or Senator. I have had the opportunity to intern in the House of Commons with Ed Komarnicki, Member of Parliament for Souris-Moose Mountain. Routinely, I have attended Question Period (QP) and observed the work of the Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, where Ed is involved. Being able to observe the workings of Canada’s Parliament has given me a greater appreciation of Canada’s democratic system. I find QP is a good illustration of how Parliament works and how developed Canadian society is. Working in my MP’s office I have gained insight into the work of an MP. I have also created data bases and observed the interaction among the whole Parliament Hill family to learn how they interact with ordinary Canadians. I value Ed’s everyday work and appreciate the work of his assistants Kayleigh and Doug. Both of them have always been ready to come to the aid of their intern, provide answers to my questions and help me understand the Canadian parliamentary system.

After six weeks of my internship, I have come to some conclusions. Most importantly I have learned that the Member of Parliament is very close to his constituents and is eager to respond to every inquiry. Canadians have easy access to their representative in Parliament. Concluding, I have acquired vital knowledge and experience on Parliament Hill. I look forward to implementing this knowledge and experience in my homeland Ukraine.

Kateryna Kozachuk
National University of Ostroh Academy
Intern to MP Ed Komarnicki, Souris-Moose Mountain, SK
2009 Dr. Yarema Kelebay Scholarship

For more information on the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program, please visit www.katedra.org.

Kateryna with Kayleigh Heathcote, Member’s Assistant, Doug Sholter Parliamentary Assistant and Ed Komarnicki, M.P. in the Ottawa Office.

Kateryna with Ed Komarnicki, M.P. in the Ottawa Office.