Youth Parliament 2016 kicks off today

Youth MPs and Youth Press Gallery members from around New Zealand have gathered in Wellington for the two-day Youth Parliament 2016, which gets under way today, says Youth Minister Nikki Kaye.

“Youth Parliament is about ensuring young New Zealanders understand politics and the democratic process, and about inspiring our next generation of politicians and political journalists,” says Ms Kaye.

“This year, 121 young New Zealanders have been appointed as Youth MPs, with 17 others acting as Youth Press Gallery members.

“The Youth MPs will get a feel for all aspects of how Parliament works, by taking part in mock debates, caucus sessions and select committees, while the Youth Press Gallery will report on all the activities.

“It’s pretty much as close as you can get to the real workings of Parliament, so it’s going to be a fantastic experience and one that helps strengthen our society by encouraging future leaders and opinion-makers.

“There will also be a session where Youth Parliament and reality come even closer together, when the Youth MPs get to ask questions of actual Ministers.

“As well as myself, Ministers Joyce, Smith and Woodhouse will take part in this session.

“To give some examples of the sorts of issues Youth MPs will be putting their minds to, they will debate a mock bill about improving access to the digital world for people with disabilities, and during a select committee they’ll consider whether te reo Maori should be compulsory in schools.

“The two days of Youth Parliament represent the pinnacle of many months of work for the Youth MPs and Press Gallery, who were appointed in the spring of 2015.

“Since then, the Youth MPs have been engaged in tasks such as giving speeches at schools on the importance of voting, they’ve spent time with their local MPs learning the ins and outs of serving their community, and they’ve also organised community projects of their choosing.

“Examples of these projects include developing recommendations to improve the quality of mental health services for young people, introducing a peer support programme for young people in foster care, and creating a conversation about making public transport more accessible and eco-friendly.

“Meanwhile, the Youth Press Gallery members have been reporting on the work done by their Youth MP peers.

“Hearing about the many and varied successful projects these young people have been involved with has me feeling very positive about the future of Aotearoa New Zealand, and I’m looking forward to spending time with them during Youth Parliament 2016.

“I’d like to acknowledge the work done by the Cross Party Steering Committee to organise Youth Parliament, in particular the Chair Louissa Wall.

“Youth Parliament involves a huge amount of preparation and cooperation across political parties.

“This reflects the importance of the event and the role it plays in building understanding of our political system and growing our future leaders.”

Tenure for Youth Parliament 2016 will end on 25 July 2016.

To keep up to date with all that’s happening over the two-day Youth Parliament 2016 event, follow @NZYP16, use #NZYP16 and check out the Ministry of Youth Development and Aotearoa Youth Voices Facebook pages.

Youth Parliament 2016 timetable

Day 1 – Tuesday 19 July

10.00am – official opening

11.30am – question time (involves real Ministers)

2.00pm – select committees

4.30pm – caucus meeting

5.45pm – social evening

Day 2 – Wednesday 20 July

9.00am – briefing on mock bill

9.35am – select committees

10.45am – legislative debate and vote

1.40pm – presentation of select committee reports

2.10pm – general debate

4.30pm – notices of motion

4.50pm – closing ceremony