Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Obama lesson for NZ elections: Youth count!

Obama lesson for NZ elections: Youth count!

The US primaries send a powerful message to NZ politicians: ignore young people at your peril, say the people who work with youth.

"The rise of Barack Obama as a serious contender in the race for the US presidency illustrates how powerful the youth vote can be," says New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development (NZAAHD) executive officer Sarah Helm.

New Zealand politicians should be planning a comprehensive strategy for reaching younger voters in this election year.

"It is no longer acceptable for politicians to think that young people are apathetic or powerless, nor assume that there is no need to campaign for the youth vote," says Ms Helm.

Obama has illustrated that with the right strategy young people can have a powerful impact on the overall result.

"Obama has appealed to young people by utilising new technologies, by the issues he is addressing, and by the people he is mobilising." Younth-oriented social networking sites are not being comprehensively used by political parties, with only National and Labour featuring on Facebook and Bebo.

"Very few of our local politicians are using technology, such as social networking spaces, where many young people get their information." But attracting young voters is a deeper issue than technology, she says.

"When young people see politicians using unfair stereotypes and generalisations to label them, they become cynical and respond accordingly." Obama has seen this, addressed it, and is reaping the rewards, she says.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"Even the announcement of his candidacy last year was followed up by a 3,500-strong student rally. He has paid attention to under-25 year old voters, and the dividends are paying off."

"Political commentators are calling his victory a 'youth vote triumph', with unprecedented numbers of youth voters turning out to support him. Similarly in Australia, Kevin Rudd's success is partially attributed to support amongst young people."

If politicians want to win the votes of young people, they need to release policies that encourage, support and appeal to young people.

"We hope that political leaders will realise that young people are intelligent, capable and important members of our community, who want to be a part of our electoral processes." ŒOur predictions for this year's election? The parties that most effectively engages young people will be the most successful come election night," says Ms Helm.


ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.