Latest news with #YouthParliament
Kiwiblog
3 days ago
- Politics
- Kiwiblog
Youth Parliament more representative than Parliament?
I was interested in how the demographics of the Youth Parliament (selected by MPs) compares to the demographics of Parliament itself (elected and selected by parties). The comparison is: Youth MPs MPs NZ Female 50% 46% 50% Male 46% 53% 49% Other 3% 1% 1% European 56% 61% 68% Maori 24% 24% 18% Pacific 12% 7% 9% Asian 19% 10% 17% Other 5% 1% 2% So in terms of gender, closer to the NZ population for women. In terms of ethnicity, Parliament has far fewer Asian MPs than the general population, but in Youth Parliament they are slightly over-represented. Likewise for Pacific.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Youth to take on Parliament
The complexities of government will be explored as youth prepare to engage with the political process. A group of young people nationwide have the chance to represent their communities as youth members of Parliament. The chosen participants will soon travel to Wellington to learn the workings of democracy before taking part in Youth Parliament on July 1 and 2. Four Dunedin youths will join 119 peers from around the country to form this year's Youth Members of Parliament, alongside 20 Youth Press Gallery members. Each Youth MP is paired with a local representative: Angus Noone with Mark Patterson, Zenah Taha with Ingrid Leary, Phoebe Ashdown with Rachel Brooking and Jomana Moharram with Francisco Hernandez. Phoebe Ashdown, a year 12 student at Otago Girls' High School, is excited to take part in the non-partisan process. ''I do debate and Amnesty [International] and I am involved with all that sort of stuff, so I just jumped at the opportunity.'' One key issue for her is access to mental health support. ''When it comes to mental health, a lot of it starts with stigma and not making it normalised in our society that youth can get mental health treatment.'' Accessibility and cost were two obstacles to securing psychological care. ''I think it is very expensive to get therapy.'' Availability was another concern. ''Frankly, having just a school counsellor is not cutting it. ''When you look at the numbers, it is not cutting it, there are still people struggling with mental health issues so I think that is clear to me that it is somewhere that I think needs change.'' Climate change presented another significant challenge, Phoebe said. Living in the coastal community of Blueskin Bay, she knew first-hand the problems caused by rising sea levels and erosion. ''I have seen that change happening in my own community.'' She had noticed sea-level changes over the past five years. ''So that is a big thing.'' Jomana Moharram is a second-year University of Otago student studying law and politics. She said young people could feel hopelessness and rage when striving for meaningful change. Reflecting on her generation's political engagement, she recalled that their first major protest was the school strikes for climate change. ''We all went out and we all protested and we thought 'the government has a responsibility to hear us, and we are going to go out there and we are going to make our voice heard'.'' However, that was not really what happened, Jomana said. ''You try to talk to a young person about politics now and a lot of people are receptive, a lot of people want to get involved in politics.'' The difficulty arose when young people felt the system did not serve them. ''When you have got uni students who for the majority are cold, hungry and just poor, then that is the reality. ''The system is not serving me, I don't have a stake in the system, I'm not going to engage with it.'' Jomana warned it becomes dangerous when youth disengage from the very system designed to deliver change. Both Phoebe and Jomana have been preparing for their journey to Parliament by talking with fellow youth to learn which issues matter most to them. ''For me, it is being the collective voice and not just saying what you want to say,'' Phoebe said. ''I'm not here to teach. I'm here to listen. I'm here to learn about politics. I'm here to learn about Dunedin's community and then take it up there and share that.'' @
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Hawke's Bay apprentice Fletcher Brown selected for Youth Parliament
A budding Hawke's Bay tradie will swap his overalls for a suit when he heads to Youth Parliament after being selected as the Youth MP of an Act MP. Cameron Luxton, Parliament's only licensed building practitioner, has selected Fletcher Brown, a 17-year-old heavy automotive engineering apprentice from Hawke's Bay, as his Youth MP. Luxton describes Brown as the kind of young Kiwi who gets up early, gets his hands dirty, and adds real value to his community. 'That kind of contribution deserves a voice in Parliament,' he said. Fletcher is currently training through MITO, an industry training organisation supporting on-the-job learning in various sectors, where he is training with a focus on agricultural and horticultural equipment, work Luxton said keeps the region's farms and orchards running smoothly.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Young Tradie To Take ACT MP's Seat In Youth Parliament
ACT MP Cameron Luxton – Parliament's only LBP builder – has selected a young tradesman to take his seat in this year's Youth Parliament. His youth MP is Fletcher Brown, a 17-year-old Heavy Automotive Engineering apprentice from Hawke's Bay. 'I'm stoked to have Fletcher Brown as my Youth MP," says Luxton. 'He's the kind of young Kiwi who gets up early, gets his hands dirty, and adds real value to his community. That kind of contribution deserves a voice in Parliament. 'Fletcher is currently training through MITO, with a focus on agricultural and horticultural equipment – work that keeps the region's farms and orchards running smoothly. Rather than taking the traditional university path, Fletcher chose to earn while he learns, picking up real-world skills in the process. 'Speaking with Fletcher, I can tell he's passionate about what he does and he's got a strong head on his shoulders. Too often, young people are pushed down the academic route by default. Fletcher made a different call, and it's paying off. 'Tradies and practical people are underrepresented in politics, and that includes Youth Parliament. It's good to have someone in there with a bit of grease on their hands who's showing young Kiwis that you don't have to go to university to be successful. 'I can't wait to see him championing the young people who choose to work, pay tax and offer practical skills in exchange for an honest wage. "MITO is doing an outstanding job equipping young Kiwis like Fletcher with real-world skills, industry connections, and a pathway to meaningful careers. But more than that, they're backing them to lead. Their support for Fletcher's role in Youth Parliament shows a real commitment to developing future leaders in the trades."
West Australian
12-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Wheatbelt's Trey Westlake and Nathan Wayne to highlight rural issues at 30th Y WA's Youth Parliament program
Two budding politicians from the Wheatbelt will take their fight to Parliament, joining regional youth from across Western Australia for the 30th Y WA's Youth Parliament program. Newdegate's Trey Westlake and Bruce Rock's Nathan Wayne are two of the 59 parliamentarians aged between 15 and 25-years-old selected to partake in the four-month leadership program. They will take part in three training days ahead of the July 6-11 residential camp, which will take them to State Parliament where they will debate bills before presenting them to the Governor, Premier, and Leader of the Opposition. As the Youth Member for Roe for the second consecutive year, Mr Westlake continues to prioritise regional issues, focusing on the agriculture, food and fisheries, and regional and State development government portfolios. The 16-year-old said his goal was 'to begin change and bring attention' to regional people. 'I originally joined Youth Parliament to gain real-world experience in politics,' Mr Westlake said. 'After participating last year, I came to realise it's more than just an experience it's a genuine opportunity to represent and advocate for my regional people with the audience being real members of parliament. 'While I may not be able to push bills through Parliament myself as I'm not a member, I can raise awareness and give regional youth a stronger voice in Parliament. 'I want to put regional issues on the map and hold decisionmakers to account.' Debating the live export ban in Parliament last year, Mr Westlake highlighted education, phone reception, power reliability, healthcare and roads as other important regional issues. As a high school student at Aquinas College, Mr Westlake said it was important to involve young people in politics because their challenges were 'unique' and 'often misunderstood or entirely overlooked' 'It's crucial that we have a seat at the table to highlight these issues and help shape the future that we'll inherit,' he said. 'We have ideas, experiences, and perspectives that are just as valid and valuable as anyone else's. 'That's why we deserve a voice.' For their first time in the program, Mr Wayne is the youth member for the Central Wheatbelt focusing on protection and sustainability in rural communities against climate change and shifting the negative dialogue between primary consumers and environmentalists. 'Research suggests rural communities and economics will be more negatively impacted by climate change than the metropolitan area,' the 24-year-old said. 'Primary producers and environmentalists actually have a lot in common than social commentary or the media tend to suggest. 'We have so much to gain by working together.' Part of the LGBTQI+ community, Mr Wayne also hopes to give the 'under represented' group in rural areas a platform.
