Pressure is a privilege - it only comes to those who earn it
Collaboration, Oscar Nikau Thomas Duffy says, is the one-word answer to the question ‘How can government organisations use sport and physical activity to improve the lives of young people?’.
By Emelie Wissel, Youth Press Gallery, Youth Parliament 2025
Photo Caption: Oscar Duffy, Youth MP
Duffy – a confident, interested, and recent graduate of Mount Albert Grammar School Youth MP in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland – loves a good game of football. Having wanted to be a professional football player as a kid, he is now surrounded by the sport daily. He thrives in the competition, discipline, and community it gives him. His weekends are packed. Saturdays are all football with coaching then playing with Bay Olympic for the Northern League afterwards. Sundays he works and if lucky, squeezes in a game of golf.
Duffy has lived in Tāmaki Makaurau his whole life but whakapapa to Te Tii up north with Ngāti Rēhia Ngāpuhi heritage. Unlike most people, he finds dinner the most important meal of the day, finding it a necessity to refuel after a long football training. In his community, Duffy believes that encouragement towards youth participating in sports and physical activities lacks. From discussions with peers, they express being closed minded to new things finding it makes them feel vulnerable. Duffy ties this attitude to our culture and expresses that encouragement towards youth needs to be the priority.
Having been given his Youth MP role, he is enjoying learning more about politics with the support of Hon Melissa Lee. Duffy was driven to apply as a Youth MP because he, in his words he, “…began to notice a poor culture we’ve formed in New Zealand in terms of the way we interact with each other. I think culture is a huge part of anything you do whether it be sport, school, or being a successful country as a whole. This, coupled with seeing my Nan have a poor experience as an elderly Māori in our healthcare system lead me to want to affect change.”
After more discussion with Duffy, he states he finds that “at the moment we see a divisive rhetoric being pushed from the top down” and that due to this, our country only sees arguments instead of collaboration. When this behaviour is modelled by those at the top level of government, it trickles down and shapes how young people view politics, communication, and decision making.
“I think being intolerant has led to the divisiveness. I think people have kind of forgotten how to tolerate and agree to disagree on ideas. We are stretched too far left or right” he argues, “Losing the valuable middle ground where constructive discourse is made.”
Keep an eye out for this Youth MP as he networks with other Youth MPs during time in Parliament. Duffy finds conversations around how politics affect Māori, especially around topics such as treaty settlements and the influence of te reo Māori.
Furthermore, he is interested in cross party politics heightened by the current Government, “Specifically what kind of concessions have to be made and compromises etc, I find that all really interesting,” Duffy says.
As Duffy is inspired by his parents daily, his drive to give back to them as much as possible pushes him to do his best. He continues to be a passionate and curious person with discipline.
Oscar Duffy’s quote he lives by - Pressure is a privilege - it only comes to those who earn it.