TORONTO—Ontario’s New Democrats want to end what they call an “elitist” tradition at Queen’s Park that allows Upper Canada College to use the legislative chamber for its model parliament.

New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo says she was shocked to learn “one of the most elite and expensive private schools” had private use of the Ontario legislature for two days over the Easter break.

DiNovo says the legislature’s protocol office “shamefacedly” admitted Upper Canada has been holding its model parliament in the legislature for 30 years.

She says that flies in the face of Ontario’s public education system and the claims that the legislature is truly democratic.

DiNovo says public high schools across the province would be very interested in having access to the legislative chamber for their model parliaments — an educational program designed for civic-minded high school students in grades 10 to 12.

Note - May 6, 2015: Update: The legislature's protocol office said students from public schools also participate in the model parliament organized by UCC. MPP Cheri DiNovo said on May 1 that her original news release only asked why no other school had the opportunity to reserve the legislative chamber to organize their own similar events. She also admitted that there are other model parliaments held at Queen's Park, including ones in English and French organized by the legislative assembly and another organized by young Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats.