Youth parliament > Youth MPs > Auckland > Hon Phil Goff

Hon Phil Goff - Mt Roskill Electorate MP

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Hon Phil Goff's Youth MP for Youth Parliament 2007 is;

Kelly Im

Age:	17
Home town:	Auckland
High school:	Senior College

An issue I feel strongly about: Gangs are an ongoing issue in New Zealand. In fact, some may go as far as saying it is part of our culture. However, I disagree with this statement as gangs as well as the violence they entail do not have any place in any culture. Here in New Zealand we pride ourselves on our clean green image and peace-loving ways yet too often are we dogged by images of gang violence on the news, in the papers and in our local communities. Ridding gangs completely is an ideal New Zealanders and I myself aspire to, yet it often feels unachievable as I see Crypts and Bloods wandering the streets searching for ‘rivals.’ However, New Zealand as a nation cannot afford to capitulate and express defeat upon the issue of gangs thus allowing a continuation of this violence. Through clever planning, increased awareness and perseverance, communities will find that they can reduce gang violence if not eliminate it completely. Although this seems highly idealistic now, if we implement these basic principles it may not seem like such an unrealistic idea in a few years time.

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