Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
19 February 2013

Facebook Election Announced to Find Winston Peter’s Youth MP

New Zealand First leader Rt Hon Winston Peters will use a Facebook “election” to help uncover a deserving youngster to be his representative in New Zealand’s Youth Parliament.

Youth Parliament sees all MPs select a 16-18 year old to represent them in “Parliament” on July 16-17.

Rt Hon Winston Peters says those entering the Facebook election will have to answer an important question in no more than 150 words.

“They need to outline one thing they’d do as an MP to make New Zealand a better place.

“The winner will be selected from the nine entries which receive the most “likes”, along with one wild card entry.”

Mr Peters says Parliamentary elections are essentially popularity contests and the Facebook election gives entrants the chance to experience that through a medium they love using.

“They can tell me all about issues important to them while I share some of my experience in politics.”

To enter to be Winston Peter’s Youth MP, and to read full competition rules, go to www.facebook.com/winstonpeters

More details are available at www.youthparliament.govt.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>