An unprecedented all-star ensemble of former prime ministers will team up when CBC Television broadcasts the second annual special THE NEXT GREAT PRIME MINISTER, Sunday, March 18 at 7 p.m. Former Canadian prime ministers, the right honourable Brian Mulroney, the right honourable John Turner, the right honourable Kim Campbell and the right honourable Joe Clark, will join host Rick Mercer in this prime-time special that calls on young Canadians to show us how they, as prime minister, would make Canada a better, stronger and more prosperous nation.
THE NEXT GREAT PRIME MINISTER invites Canadians aged 18 to 25 years old to submit a three-to-five-minute videotaped speech with their “Prime Ministerial Message.” A team of judges will sift through the countless submissions and narrow the field to 20 applicants that best present their ideas and provide the most original views. This short-list will be cut down further when the 20 hopefuls are taken through a gruelling interview process in order to test their ability to support their ideas, test their knowledge of current events and to see how well they respond to questions. Finally, five contenders will make it to the one-hour televised finale and, in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, will be grilled and judged by the esteemed panel of Canada’s former prime ministers.
“CBC Television is delighted to broadcast THE NEXT GREAT PRIME MINISTER,” said Kirstine Layfield, executive director, network programming, CBC Television. “This hunt for our future leader will engage our youth while providing our audiences with an early glimpse at the political leaders of tomorrow. And having Rick Mercer as host guarantees the whole process will be engaging, provocative and entertaining.”
This one-of-a-kind broadcast is based on a popular nationwide competition originated in 1995 by Frank Stronach, founder and Chairman of Magna International, in his quest to search for Canada’s best and brightest future leaders. It was launched to engage young Canadians in the political process and to encourage them to think about ways to improve the country.
When all is said and done, the winner of THE NEXT GREAT PRIME MINISTER will receive a $50,000 cash prize and a coveted Dominion, Magna, Fulbright (DMF) Fair Enterprise and Public Policy Internship, a six-month paid internship equally split in two-month terms between corporate, government and non-government organizations. The remaining four finalists will each receive $5,000 and three-month internships. Deadline for applicants is Dec. 8, 2006.
For further information on the application process and requirements, please go to: www.thenextgreatprimeminister.ca
