Auckland Youth Council

Ellen Melville Hall, Auckland

Your Worship the Mayor, Youth Councillors, Councillors, ladies and gentlemen good evening.

Thank you for the invitation to speak to you tonight.

I am always pleased to attend events such as this, where we can actually see young people participating and having a say in the direction of New Zealand.

The future is important, and young people need to have a hand in shaping what their future will be.

The post of Minister of Youth Affairs was set up exactly for that reason.

The Government realised that there was a real need for young people not only to have a voice, but also to be represented in Government, and for the Government to recognise their needs.

It realised that the future of this nation rests in the hands of our youth and it acknowledged that by resourcing a Ministry focussed on the needs of people aged 12-25.

In my maiden speech to Parliament, I stated that I was there to represent young people.

As a List MP I was elected with no fixed constituency. However as Minister of Youth Affairs, I see the young people of New Zealand as my constituents and I'm probably the best qualified to represent them!

My aim is to create a New Zealand that is safe, healthy and enterprising. That mission will guide my work while I am Minister of Youth Affairs.

I can't achieve that mission by myself. It needs the cooperation of all of you here tonight. Business, government, local government, the community and most importantly young people. It's a partnership approach and it relies on inter-generational co-operation.

I think it's great that a city like Auckland is concerned about its youth, and given them a voice through the Youth Council. What is also important, is to make sure that that voice is listened to.

It can be difficult persuading people to participate - whether they be young or old. If you want people to participate, they've got to be able to get something out of it, and it's got to be interesting and fun, but above all, they have to have a degree of ownership.

Quite a few organisations have visited me recently saying they want to make their organisation more attractive to young people, and increase their "market share". They ask me for my suggestions.

My advice to anyone thinking along these lines is that if you want young people to be involved then you need to consult with them. Ask them how they would change things. What is cool to them? And what decisions would they make about the organisation?

Admittedly, you can't achieve this over night. If you were to transfer all power to your members tomorrow, I think that they'd be overwhelmed and leave. You need to empower your Youth Council so that they are able to do the job that you have entrusted them with.

To empower someone you need to impart knowledge, information, skills, values and attitudes.

That is what being young is all about. It's about doing things for yourself, and then turning your ideas into action.

It is about more than a token stab at participation. It is about making your organisation successful - through your strongest asset - young people.

One of the things I am really keen to encourage is the greater partcipation of young people in our society, and I want to ensure that services for young people are better coordinated.

I intend to hold a Youth Summit next year with all the key stakeholders in the youth arena so that we can take stock of where we're at now and map out a strategic plan for the future - a vision for the year 2020.

And it's good to see that basically you're doing the same at a local level here in Auckland.

I read an article by James Arlidge, one of your Youth Councillors, in the East & Bays Courier earlier this week. James mentioned several issues that the Youth Council is currently discussing, and it was interesting to note how consistent they are with what I've heard around the country and at the recent Youth Parliament.

James said that he wants to help make Auckland a better place for young people. As he says, this isn't about things like Burger King and McDonalds, young people want a place of their own. They want places where they can be safe, enjoy themselves, and let their hair down away from their parents.

I know that young people are concerned about youth suicide, relationships, self esteem, the public image of young people, youth participation, employment, role models and a sense of belonging. I'm sure you've got strong views on all of these things as well as ideas on how to bring others on-board and turn thoughts into action.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs is there to help. It exists to facilitate the direct participation of young people, and to promote equal opportunities so that young people can actively and responsibly contribute to the cultural, social and economic development of New Zealand.

The Ministry supports the development of Youth Councils, and is able to provide information to you. All you have to do is write, phone or email them.

You're not alone! There are about 28 Youth Councils throughout New Zealand and they are all quite different.

The Ministry is keen to promote the further expansion of Youth Councils. Not only an expansion in the number of Youth Councils, but also better representation of youth culture, both in and out of the school environment.

In return they would appreciate receiving copies of your minutes and any other relevant information. That way they can keep in touch with what young people are thinking and doing, and have an opportunity to assist wherever possible.

The responsibilities you as youth councillors have are wide ranging, but one of them is to stand up and speak out for yourself and other young people.

My plea to you all of you here is to speak out. If you don't speak out, then you can't really complain. Speak out about what you want, what you feel, what you like, what you don't like, and what you would like to see change.

Tell me, the Council, your parents, your friends and the media about it, and do something to make a difference. Already getting involved as you have done is a very positive step.

I believe that the Auckland Youth Council can make a difference for young people because I know that you have a range of talents and skills which you can put to good use.

You'll gain a lot from your time on the Youth Council, and you'll be able to be proud of the fact that you made a difference for thousands of young Aucklanders.

So, as the advert says, "just do it"!