Youth MPs add voice in Parliament

By Hannah Mills

Over a hundred Youth MPs have been told by United Future Leader Peter Dunne to “take control” of a mock bill and question whether its ideas will actually work.

The seventh Youth Parliament kicked off in Wellington this morning following an official opening by the Governor General Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae.

Under the parliamentary programme, each Member of Parliament selects a young person to attend the two-day event and have their views heard by key decision makers.

Tomorrow the Youth MPs will vote to pass the Electoral Reform Bill 2013.

The bill looks to modernise the electoral system by reducing the voting age to 17, adding electronic voting to methods of voting, making voting compulsory and changing the term of Parliament to four years.

Gul Agha Alizadah is representing National MP Gerry Brownlee over his tenure as a Youth MP. He wants the bill to pass and the voting age lowered to 17.

“17-year-olds can work and pay tax but not vote for those in government who spend our taxes. It makes sense that we should be able to vote from a younger age”.

While at Youth Parliament, Andre Knops will get the chance to sit in the chair of the Speaker of the House. Andre’s representing National MP David Carter and says the voting age should be kept at 18.

He thinks the voting age should be kept at 18 alongside the legal age to smoke and drink.

“I canvassed my high school and there’s a lack of interest among 17 year olds to vote. I think it [the voting age] should be kept at 18 in line with everything else [drinking and smoking]”.

The Youth MPs will vote tomorrow afternoon through a personal vote based on the opinions on those they’ve surveyed.

Labour’s Sue Moroney says the Youth MPs are tackling an issue Parliament is yet to address.

ENDS

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