Youth parliament > Press gallery > Youth MP profiles and interviews by Storme Sen

Youth MP profiles and interviews by Storme Sen

See below for interviews with various Youth MPs.

By Storme Sen


Nicholas Mitchell

Age 17, Orewa College:

So, how does it feel to be a Youth MP?
Pretty awesome, I think everyone agrees.

What’s the best part about YP in your opinion?
Actually getting a really up close and personal look at how everything works. I think the average person, especially the average young person, is quite ignorant of how government functions. It’s just been fantastic and we’ve all learned heaps.

What issues in NZ are you concerned about?
I think that some of the most serious problems that face New Zealanders at the moment are economic problems.

So then what do you think of the new Kiwi Saver scheme?
It’s a good thing, I don’t believe it’s perfect but it’s better than nothing because some people, for whatever reason, don’t save and a national saving scheme is great for someone who doesn’t know how to handle their money well.

Do you think it’s fair to tax the youth?
I believe it’s fair for everyone to be taxed at the same rate and I don’t think we should discriminate on the basis of age, or at all, because that just leads to problems.

Then would you be for Sue Bradford’s bill to lower the voting age to 16?
No, absolutely not. We have age restrictions on these things for a reason and I think it’s just ridiculous.

What are you going to take away from YP? What are your plans after it finishes?
I plan to go to university.

To study politics?
No, I was hoping to study law and economics. I wouldn’t want to be a politician, I’d rather make my mark in a private sector then come back here and see what I can do for my country.

Why did you decide to do this?
I think life presents you with opportunities and it’s just up to you to grab those opportunities. This looked like a great one to me!



Jeffrey Carroll
Age 18, Pakuranga College:

How does it feel being here?
It’s a bit daunting; most of the issues that we deal with here are very topical. People have very strong opinions about them and sometimes it’s difficult to get your opinion across.

What is your favourite part of YP so far? Was it the general debate?
I did enjoy the general debate-there were a few comical moments. My favourite part was probably questioning the witnesses in the select committee, especially since BZP (party pills) is an issue I feel strongly about. I got to question Matt Bowden, the head of the Stargate foundation, the foundation that introduced party pills to NZ.

So what are you going to do after YP? Are you going to university?
I will be at the end of this year after I’ve finished 7th form. I’m looking at a Bachelor of Science, majoring in computer science and heading into the IT field. I came to YP to find out if I wanted to be a politician and now I’ve got to seriously consider if it is a future I want to have.

Has YP been a good experience for you? Has it opened doors and changed your opinion?
It’s a great opportunity that’s been given to me; I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly.

Are there any youth issues that you’re concerned about? Do you think that NZ does enough for its youth?
There are a few issues that I find quite interesting. One is the justice system. I don’t think there’s a lot of talk about rehabilitation; I think we are being a little too lenient on youth offenders where they are committing serious crimes. I think the difference between how we treat youth and adult offenders is too great.

So why did you choose to become a Youth MP?
I just thought it would be a great experience and a chance to get away from everything at school that I’ve always been involved in, a chance to get to know the political side of things.

If you could be Prime Minister for day, what would you do?
Walk around very staunch, like I owned the place! (Laughs) Probably walk around feeling very special.


 
Kritika Satija

Age 16, Mt Albert Grammar:

What has this experience been like for you down here at YP?
It’s been great, it’s a really nice experience to have.

In the general debate you stood up for the benefits of NCEA, why do you think it’s better than the Cambridge system of education?
Because it has internal assessments and is flexible. Sure, it needs some tweaking here and there but I believe it is the ideal system for New Zealand.

Is being a politician your chosen career?
Not really, I was thinking of studying either medicine or law actually.

So what has been your all time favourite part of this big event for you?
(Laughs) I would have to say the General debate, because I got to speak in it!

Is there anything in New Zealand that concerns you? Is there anything you would change?
I would definitely improve transport around Auckland. I would change little things, especially to do with youth safety.



Alannah Manson

Age 17, Marist College:

So why did you decide to participate in YP?
I decided to apply for it because I’m quite interested in politics and I thought it would be a great opportunity. I also really believe in the idea that the voices of the youth should be heard.

What issues in our country today are you concerned about?
I’m mainly concerned with education and the perceived class system- specifically that people who study Cambridge are considered more intelligent and I think that that is a stereotype that needs to be rectified.

Do you plan to carry on with tertiary studies after you finish 7th form?
Yes, definitely. I plan to study law and the arts, maybe foreign languages.



Isaac Rayner

Age 18, Henderson College:

How does it feel to be a Youth MP?
Well, I’ve been one before. You’re living life normally and all of a sudden you’re thrust into a bit of limelight- it’s quite nice! You experience a different type of lifestyle for a bit and you’re kind of dropped in the deep end almost, if you haven’t done it before. In a sense it’s like an adventure.

What issues of today are you concerned with or passionate about?
A lot of issues I’m focused on are fundamental to NZ. They’re not very specific, they’re quite arbitrary and vague. Things like the hypocrisy of NZ.

Oh, really? Concerning what?
Things like, are we really clean and green? NZ is famous for “Do as we say and not as we do”. We have trees in NZ that people are not allowed to cut down and sell, and yet lots of people import native trees from other countries. We’re also westernizing ourselves, but I don’t think we need to model ourselves on other countries. We can’t forget what we stand for and who we are. A rampaging, consumerist, capitalist country? I don’t think that’s the way to go.

If you could be Prime Minister for a day, what would you do or change?
(Laughs) Well, geez, I don’t know the workings of the Prime Minister enough and she doesn’t have enough power for all the things I’d like to do! But let’s for a moment assume I can do anything, I’d probably have holidays all year round, change the civil union bill, abolish abortion within reasonable limits, talk a lot about the stance of NZ on foreign affairs…we could be here forever!

Would you call yourself an idealist?
I don’t think I’m an idealist as much as I am a patriot. It’s not that I want to change the ideals of this country- I want to keep them.

As a young person, how do you feel about the country? Do you think it takes care of its youth?
Yes, we have one of the highest suicide rates in the OECD countries but I don’t believe that is a true representation of how the government tries to work with us. NZ has a lot of cultures that affect our youth- we have problems like laziness and tall poppy syndrome that plague the youth but I don’t think that the government is the cause.

Do you have any proposals to fix one of your many concerns? Just one?
My biggest concern is the hypocrisy of New Zealand’s political stance, if it’s not who you are then don’t pretend to be it. If NZ continues to call itself clean and green, one day the world is going to turn around and call us liars and NZ will lose all the respect and dignity that it has. So I think we need to work more on not just saying, but proving that we mean what we say by our actions. 

 

Holly Chase
18, Mt Albert Grammar:

So how does it feel to have been chosen as a Youth MP?
It’s exciting and different! I’m learning heaps and it’s just a whole new experience.

Are there any issues you are concerned about or passionate about changing?
Something that is quite an issue to me at the moment is the way healthy foods are more expensive than the unhealthy. I think pricing mechanisms and possible taxation of unhealthy foods needs to be looked at, even removing tax or GST on the healthy foods.

Is being a politician your future career?
I don’t know, it wasn’t before I came here, but this has definitely opened up new opportunities. It’s definitely opened up my eyes to a politician’s role- it’s not as boring as I thought! Especially in the debating chamber.

Do you think it’s hard to make decisions in parliament with everyone’s different points of view?
Definitely, yes. There are always two sides to an argument and when someone is so decided on their opinion it’s difficult to come together and make a decision. We found that yesterday in the general debate when looking at Maori benefits.

As a young person and a representative of the youth, how do you feel about your country?
I think New Zealand is a great place to live, I mean, there are always things that can be improved, but I love living here and I think we have a lot of good values that other countries don’t, such as being GE free and against nuclear power.



Coral Panoho

Age 18, Auckland Girls Grammar:

So how does it feel to be chosen as a Youth MP?
I was apprehensive at first, kind of nervous, but being down here you experience first hand what your politicians do. It’s an awesome experience but you also wake up to reality-it’s enlightening.

You’re concerned with Maori, what exactly is your concern?
Generally the fact that they’re seen as a minority and that they want to remove the Maori seats from Parliament. That’s kind of demeaning to Maori as a race. The identity is very important to me and I don’t think New Zealand is Aoteroa without the Maori people.

Would you change any policies New Zealand has? Do you think the policies towards the youth are good?
I think so, the Maori youth struggle a bit though. My stance is for Maori well-being and whereas I see it is a good place to live, and we do get a lot more than youth in other countries and I respect that, I don’t think there’s enough emphasis being put on Maori children.


 
Shaun Ritchie

17, Westlake Boys:

How does it feel being down here in Wellington?
Pretty good!

What issues are you passionate about? You are one of the select few that came from the North Shore, are there any issues that concern the area you live in?
The issues I came to YP with are along the lines of youth gangs, youth offending and the way that youth are seen by adults and portrayed in the media. We’re constantly hearing about boy racers, taggers, out-of-control parties, binge drinking and drug use. I think there should be a greater focus on any achievements, like YP, or making local and international sports teams.

If you could be Prime Minister for a day, what would you do?
I’d abolish the Maori seats in Parliament, because positive discrimination is still discrimination. I would make an effort to increase youth exposure in a positive way because there’s a negative stereotype developing about youth, even amongst youth themselves. Youth assume that they need to alienate themselves because they’re not welcome in society.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned here at YP?
I wasn’t the biggest buff on political processes but this certainly helps. It’s interesting to meet like-minded people, but they’re not a fair cross section of the youth, they don’t represent everyone.

So, as a young person, how do you feel about NZ?
I like NZ, I’m proud to be a New Zealander, especially when we succeed on a world stage.

Why did you decide to become a Youth MP?
Actually, an opportunity just popped up at school, (laughs) and I was late with my application as well. But I had an interview with Wayne Mapp and that went really well. I’ve always had an interest in politics but not necessarily knowledge of politics.

What do you plan to do once you’ve finished college?
I plan to study law at Victoria University, but I don’t think I’m going to be a lawyer as such.

How do you feel about the controversial NCEA vs. Cambridge debate?
I do Cambridge, I’ve had some experience with NCEA and I’ve spoken with some people that do NCEA. It seems very confused and discriminate in the way it delegates marks but Cambridge isn’t for everyone. It’s certainly better for a lot of other people, besides myself, I think, and it should be offered in conjunction with NCEA.


 
Loren O’Sullivan
Age 18, Carmel College:

How are you feeling taking on the role of a Youth MP?
It’s a great privilege, actually. It’s exciting being able to meet lots of people from around the country and feel important for a while.

What issues are you concerned about? Is there anything you have a strong opinion on?
Environmental sustainability is definitely one of my main concerns. My Select Committee is also discussing youth gangs and that really interests me.

So, what has been the most valuable part of your YP experience?
That’s a tough one, there are a lot of really good things, probably meeting Helen Clarke! I can’t really pinpoint one thing, it’s all been great…having a billet, seeing how Parliament works, talking to different MPs…

What do you do in the community? What interests you?
I’m on the Shore Youth Council. It’s really good but needs some work, and YP makes me think deeper about how I can help improve youth participation in the community.



Amy Pollard
Age 16, Green Bay High:

How does it feel to be representing the youth as Youth MP down in Wellington?
Good! I didn’t quite know how everything would work but it feels good in between the long speeches- there are some very nice morning teas and interesting debates happening here at YP.

What is the best part of being a Youth MP at YP for you?
The coming together of about 150 people and the conflict of opinion between us all, but we still have respect for eachother even though we come from different places and have different views.

Are there any issues that you feel merit special attention or concern over?
I don’t know, I mean, there are a lot of issues. In my General debate I spoke about free sexual health care for youth in New Zealand, that’s something I’d really like to see happen.

What are you going to go away with? Has this experience at YP changed you?
I’ve always been involved in the community and I enjoy public speaking. I’m on the Waitakere city Youth Council as well, so all those things will continue. It will be interesting to see whether or not I go into politics in the future but it will definitely be an option.

 

Anas Sirajur Raheem

Age 17, Edgewater College:

Are you excited to be part of YP?
I think it’s quite an honour, actually! Coming to Parliament makes you appreciate the role of an MP more, the job entails much more than we see.

Are there any policies that New Zealand has that you would like to see amended in any way?
At the moment there’s nothing of great concern to me. However, I feel that the rights of minority groups are not represented as well as they should be in Parliament.

As a young person, do you like New Zealand?
Yes, most policies don’t affect me at the moment so I’m kind of neutral.

If you could be Prime Minister for a day, what would you do?
Probably try and give more rights to the youth, let them have a larger say!

What, personally, has been the best part about Youth Parliament for you?
Definitely meeting new people! Getting different opinions and meeting people with the same political mind.

Why did you decide to apply to become a Youth MP?
Because of my interest in politics, I’d like to study law after college as well.

Do you think that an interest in politics is a rare thing amongst youth?
Yeah, I would. I was one of the few in my school that showed interest in it.

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