No 22 Squadron, Upper Hutt Air Training Corps

Messines Centre, Trentham

Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight. Coming to presentations such as this is one of the best things I get to do as Minister of Youth Affairs.

The youth of New Zealand have an amazing range of strengths and talents. There are young musicians, sports people, debaters, mathematicians, skateboarders, artists and academics who are all achieving at the top of their field. Each and every one of them deserves acknowledgment.

One young New Zealander who has clearly demonstrated he has the right skills to literally leap into the new millennium is 14 year old Nicholas Johnson who has designed a computer programme that will allow older PCs to work after 31st December 1999.

Nicholas's work has shown up many of the big companies who have been trying to find a solution to this problem for the last few years. His youthfulness has allowed him to look at the problem without the baggage that designers at Microsoft or IBM might have. Now, many people with pre-486 computers will be able to keep using their PC well into the new millennium - patent is pending!

But tonight I'd like to acknowledge all of your achievements not only within the Air Training Corps, but also in the wider community. All of the Cadets here tonight deserve recognition for their part in helping others while developing their own leadership skills. Congratulations on your achievements.

It is a real pleasure to be asked to share in your success.

So often the only media coverage young people get is negative. Rarely do we read about the successes, the positive role models or the great things that people like you are achieving.

Although to be fair community papers are generally better than the national ones so I hope the Upper Hutt Leader, who are here tonight, will do a good job of telling your community about your achievements during the past year.

When it comes to getting the recognition that young people deserve, clearly some are better at getting themselves heard than others. This is particularly important when we look at the opportunities for young people to contribute. Unless we have input from young people in schools, communities, youth organisations and government, we are in danger of making poorly informed decisions, that do not reflect or respect the views of young people.

It is for this reason that in 1989 the Government realised there was a need for young people not only to have a voice, but also to be represented at Ministerial level, and hence the Youth Affairs portfolio was established.

Both myself and the Ministry are there to advocate for young New Zealanders within government and to ensure that young people can contribute to the cultural, social and economic development of New Zealand.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs is a small policy agency focussed on the needs of people aged 12-25. It has 24 staff and, for policy advice, communication and facilitation it has an annual budget of $2.2 million.

It provides the Government with information and advice on the effects of their policies on young people. It also provides advice and support directly to young people.

As you'll appreciate there are some enormous issues facing young New Zealanders. Consequently the Ministry of Youth Affairs needs to work with other agencies such as the Ministries of Health, Education, Justice, Labour and Te Puni Kokiri.

Some of the issues identified as priorities for the Ministry of Youth Affairs include youth suicide prevention, youth crime prevention, drug and alcohol issues and youth employment and benefit issues.

Some of the most important priorities exist in the health area - not just services but health education also. Recent publicity about the prospect of reduced health services and hospital closures are a significant concern for me. We can only guess how those closures will impact on the opportunities for young people to access health care. But reducing access at all is negative - especially when we know, for example, that there are only adequate mental health services in this country for 0.8% of the youth population. I do not condone reducing health services in preference for profit or private sector interests.

Despite the many difficult issues that I and the Ministry of Youth Affairs have to deal with I believe that you all face a bright future - possibly the best outlook, both economically and socially that New Zealand has ever seen. Some have even been brave enough to say that we are just about to enter the biggest global boom that the world has ever seen!

I am pleased that increasingly there are greater numbers of youth councils throughout New Zealand and I think these are important forums to provide young people with the skills and opportunity to have some influence in the decisions that affect them.

Some of you will be aware of the Ministry of Youth Affairs student representative scheme.

Schools are invited at the beginning of each school year to nominate a student to liaise with the Ministry of Youth Affairs. There are currently more than 400 schools involved in this scheme.

Both myself and the Ministry correspond with these students and we ask their opinion on a variety of issues of concern or interest to young people.

Earlier this year I asked the Ministry to investigate the setting up of a youth radio network. I wanted to know the views of young people themselves on this issue, so the Ministry sent out a questionnaire to the student representatives and we received some interesting feedback. This information will be taken into account in the final report and will therefore have some influence in my decision on the matter.

Those of you at secondary schools may also be aware of the position of student representatives on school boards. Again I see this as a valuable mechanism for young people to have input into issues that affect them.

I appreciate the enormity of the job but little by little young people can and will make a difference to the world we all share.

So my challenge to you is - use your talents to the greatest extent and get involved in activities that will allow you to have a say in your future.

This may require you having to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries. However it is important to follow your ambitions and drive, to go with your gut feeling and do what you really want to do.

Thank you.

ENDS