17-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Young politician aims to revive youth wing
In 2023, Ethan Reille was hoping to become New Zealand's youngest politician.
Almost two years later, he is still knee-deep in politics.
Mr Reille, 20, is the Young Labour president and is an adviser to Labour's finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds.
If that did not keep him busy enough, he is also chairman of a charitable trust, the Social Change Collective, that focuses on engaging young people on social or environmental issues, and is studying a bachelor of psychology.
He said his aim with Labour was "revitalising" the youth wing.
After the general election in 2023, Mr Reille felt the party's youth wing could be more active and mobilised, he said.
"In opposition, it's really given us an opportunity to rethink how we represent young people."
Despite a disappointing result at the last election, he is optimistic about the future of the party.
"When I joined at the age of 15, it was the only party that I truly felt listened to young people and represented the values that I had.
"It was very clear we lost the majority of the young votes in 2023 and so it was sort of my mission to reflect on that and find out how we can win that back in 2026."
He said he was also not personally deterred from potentially running again.
"Being very young and knowing the way the seat normally votes, of course I was optimistic to try and win and hold my own, but at the end of the day, I knew the odds were stacked against me.
"I would do it all again in a heart-beat. There were no hard feelings, I was not discouraged.
"I've made it very known to a lot of community members that, if I am asked to by them then I would definitely stand again."
Mr Reille visited India last month with the Labour delegation that attended the Bharat Summit, a two-day conference focusing on youth politics, gender equality and climate change.
"It was really great to connect with a lot of world leaders and global politicians and even some retired politicians to really discuss the swing of politics that's occurring around the world.
"It's very clear the world has taken a very right wing swing and we're electing a lot for right and conservative leaders across the world.
"That's something that, coming from a more progressive and socialist party, we must be observing but also learning from and understanding why there's a swing that way."
Despite moving away, Waitaki was still very close to his heart.
"I miss home a lot and I do try to pop down every chance that I can.
"It's been really heartwarming to be in a different part of the country but still see so many updates from our community in Oamaru.
"There are some really great things that are still happening and it's great to see so many community leaders still sticking at it."
