The official Youth Parliament kicks off this week guaranteeing one youth member for every MP but, to give more rangatahi Māori an experience of Parliament, another wānanga was held, giving 40 more rangatahi Māori an opportunity to get to know more and understand how politics and the New Zealand Parliament system works.
Aukaha Dixon attended the wānanga in the lea up to the Youth Parliament this week. An issue he says is key for the rangatahi in his area of Te Waiariki is the mental health implications and flow-on effects on rangatahi from being in lockdown.
“Ko ngā taumahatanga ā hinengaro, ā ngākau. Ko te noho ā ngā tauira ki te kāinga - tē hono atu ai ki ngā hoa, tē rongo i tēra hononga tera piringa i waenga nui i ngā hoa.”
“Mental struggles. Students who had to stay home with no connections to their friends, who didn't see their friends, who didn't feel that connection,” he said.
Passing the baton
They’re here at Parliament at the invitation of Te Pāti Māori in the lead-up to the Youth Parliament because. with only one youth representative per MP, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngārewa Packer says the aim was to give even more rangatahi an experience of Parliament.
“This is about us bringing in our youth to be able to pass on the baton of succession, importantly to show them and to show Parliament the magic of the rangatahi that we have and for them to own the space.”
Te Atahaia Durie is the granddaughter of Māori leader Sir Mason Durie. Despite feeling nervous about coming to Parliament, she sees the benefit in the wānanga, she says.
“Ko tetahi o ngā take matua ki te whai wāhi ki te noho tahi ki ngā rangatahi me te rongo i o rātou whakaaro. Mā te rongo i o rātou whakaaro ka puawai ngā whakaaro ki roto i ahau. Ka tupu te mōhio ki roto i ahau, ka tupu te mātauranga.”
“One of the great things is to be with other rangatahi to listen to their ideas. Listening to their ideas and thoughts helps create my own, to get a better understanding and to gain more knowledge”
Luke Orbell will this week join 119 other rangatahi as Youth Parliament sits this week. He's grateful to be a part of the wānanga in the lead-up, and, hoping to canvass some big issues when he gets together with the other Youth MPs.
“I have an opportunity to speak for my whānau, for my iwi and I'm not taking that lightly.”
“I'm seeing more rangatahi actually standing up for what they believe in like climate change, land back, healthcare rights, for hītori to be taught in schools,” he says.