Latest news with #YouthMPs
RNZ News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Youth MPs accuse government of censoring them
politics youth about 1 hour ago Youth MPs are accusing the government of censoring them over changes to their speeches in Parliament. The 11th Youth Parliament is underway, drawing young people from all over the country to Wellington to debate and speak about what matters most to them. Some rangatahi say they were told to avoid criticising the current government, and feel let down by the process. But organisers insist the changes are just recommendations and suggestions. Giles Dexter reports.
RNZ News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Youth MPs accuse government of 'censoring' them, ministry says otherwise
Some Youth MPs were asked to remove parts of their speeches. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson The protocols followed for this year's Youth Parliament are the same as previous years, the Ministry of Youth Development says after accusations of censorship. However, the email sent to one Youth MP carries the subject line "changes required", and stated the ministry "have had to make some changes". Some of the Youth MPs involved say they will not be suppressed and the issue has fuelled the fire to make their voices heard. The Labour Party has criticised the approach taken after some Youth MPs were asked to remove parts of their speeches , because some of their speech lacked political neutrality by criticising "this government". Changes recommended included the removal of general mentions of the Treaty Principles Bill, funding for Māori and Pasifika, and Pay Equity. Speeches about "youth voice" and "freedom of speech" were also edited. In a written statement, Ministry of Youth Development general manager John Robertson said the same protocol had been followed as was used in 2022, and the feedback provided on the Youth MPs' speeches was "generally focused on supporting them to convey their arguments clearly and effectively, and in keeping with the non-partisan approach of Youth Parliament". "We also advised some Youth MPs that changes were required to their speeches to avoid putting themselves at risk. Youth MPs are not protected by parliamentary privilege. This means young people could be held liable if the contents of their speech raise concerns around defamation, copyright, privacy, contempt of court, or broadcasting standards. "However, as noted above, the final decision about what they say is made by the Youth MPs." Robertson said the ministry had in some cases told the Youth MPs "it is your decision around what your speech does and does not contain". "From here, it is your choice how you use [our] feedback. You are the one stepping up to speak and we fully respect your right to shape your speech in the way that feels right to you," it said. However, the email RNZ has seen did not include such a statement. The ministry confirmed it had provided feedback to "about half of the 80 young people who will deliver speeches", and that they were shifting from the approach used in 2019 and 2022 of livestreaming the speeches to instead sending the recordings to the participants after the event. This was "due to resourcing constraints... the participants are welcome to share this footage with others, and online", the ministry said. Minister for Youth James Meager said the speeches were not censored. "We do not censor the speeches of Youth MPs. We provide feedback, and in some cases suggest changes for them to consider, but we have been clear to all Youth MPs that they make the final decision about the content of their speech." He provided a written statement, much of which matched the ministry's statement word for word. Minister for Youth James Meager. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone However, the Youth MPs spoke to reporters at Parliament with one - Thomas Brocherie, a spokesperson for Make it 16, a group pushing for a voting age of 16 - said the approach taken to the speeches was diluting the value of the Youth Parliament. "We have been told to not argue on either side of contentious issues such as the pay equity reforms or the Treaty Principles Bill for the excuse that they are current topics in the current Parliament. This is not just illogical, it is censorship," he said. "We cannot say we value democracy unless we actually show and prove we value democracy. Silencing the stakeholders of the future does not value democracy." Another Youth MP Nate Wilbourne, a spokesperson for Gen Z Aotearoa, said rangatahi were being silenced and censored. "We've been told to soften our language, to drop key parts of our speeches and to avoid criticizing certain ministers or policies. This isn't guidance. This is fear based control." Brocherie said the emails being titled "changes required" was "not at all a suggestion, that is blatant editing, they want us to change something to suit their purpose, to suit their agenda". Youth MP Lincoln Jones said they were provided with "a PDF of edited changes... delivered to our inbox, and that was the expected requirement, that we speak that speech". "It's honestly like they've gone through with it with a microscope to find any little thing that might be interpreted wrong against, I guess, the current government." Some of them sent responses to the ministry asking for clarification about the changes. "And what did we get? An automatic copy and pasted reply that is not at all in the principles of what Youth Parliament is," Jones said. "They claim to listen to us, they claim to want to uplift us, they send us an automatic copy and pasted response on the thing we have three minutes to speak about. That's not good enough." He said the experience had encouraged him even further to put himself forward to become an MP. "It honestly fuels that fire within me, and I think for all of us to put it out there and to make our voices heard." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Youth MPs told to remove criticisms of government from speeches
The event is organised by the Ministry for Youth Development. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson Some Youth MPs have been told by the event's organisers to remove criticisms of the government in their speeches. Labour says the move is out of step with the spirit of the Youth Parliament, and risks further discouraging young people from having their voices heard. The event is organised by the Ministry for Youth Development. RNZ has approached the ministry for comment. The Youth Parliament initiative is held every three years, and provides young New Zealanders with an opportunity to learn about Parliament and democracy. Every MP in Parliament selects a Youth MP, aged 16 to 18, with a Youth Press Gallery also involved. Youth MPs go through a four-month training programme before arriving at Parliament to participate in mock debates, Question Time and select committees. Previous Youth MPs who have gone on to become full-fledged MPs in the current Parliament include Chris Bishop, Ayesha Verrall, Tangi Utikere, Catherine Wedd, Tom Rutherford, Carl Bates and Camilla Belich. The 11th Youth Parliament formally gets underway on Tuesday with a general debate. RNZ has seen a copy of an email sent to a Youth MP, telling them changes had been made to their general debate speech to ensure it: The Youth Parliament Project Team told the Youth MP the changes were recommended because some of their speech lacked political neutrality by criticising "this government". Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the whole point of Youth Parliament was to make sure young people who were "massively underheard" in Parliament had the opportunity to have their say. "I think any idea that they're being asked to submit their views in advance so they can be censored, so they can have critical comments about the government taken out of them, is just totally out of step with the spirit of Youth Parliament." Hipkins said he would understand if defamatory comments, or comments that opened a Youth MP up to legal risk, were taken out, but taking things out just because they were critical was too far. "My advice to Youth Members of Parliament is: this is your shot. This is your shot to ensure that young people actually have a voice in this place. Say what you think, and don't let anybody else tell you what you should think." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
