A group of youth organisations is calling out the censorship of young people at Youth Parliament 2025, where multiple decisions made by the Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) have undermined the kaupapa of authentic youth voice.

Several youth MPs will meet Press on the steps of Parliament House at 1:15pm on Tuesday, 1 July to share their experiences and feelings on the censorship of rangatahi voices during this year’s Youth Parliament. 

Multiple decisions made around this year’s Youth Parliament have led to an environment that  fundamentally undermines what is meant to be a space for young people to speak freely and confidently on the issues that shape their lives.

This year:

• Live-streaming of Youth MP speeches has been cancelled.
• Lived Experience Groups, which previously allowed Youth MPs from minority communities to offer policy advice, have been removed.
• Youth MPs have been told they cannot clap, cannot walk out, and that all speeches must be reviewed before delivery. 

Youth MPs have also been told not to speak on key political issues like pay equity, voting rights, climate action and financial literacy, with parts of their speeches removed because these topics are supposedly “too political.” 

“Youth Parliament is meant to give young people a voice. But how can we speak up if we’re told what we’re allowed to say?” says Thomas Brocherie, Co-Director of Make It 16 and Youth MP for Lan Pham.

“Young people are constantly told to care, to participate, to raise our voices. But when we do, we’re told to edit them. If Youth Parliament only allows voices that are comfortable for adults to hear, it’s not youth voice at all. It’s a performance,” says Ruby Love-Smith, Youth MP for Dr Tracey McLellan.

"This isn’t an attack on parties or politicians. It’s a call for something deeper: real youth representation that isn’t filtered or stage-managed. If rangatahi can’t talk about our right to vote or the issues that affect us most in a space designed to elevate youth voice then what message does that send?” says Lincoln Jones, Make It 16 member and Youth MP for Willie Jackson (Labour Party).

The feedback Youth MPs received after submitting speeches was often couched in positive language, encouraging them to “consider” edits. But this framing misses the power dynamic at play wherein young people felt pressured to comply, afraid speaking honestly would create “problems” or risk being excluded.

“We’ve been told to soften our language, drop key parts of our speeches, and avoid criticising certain ministers, as speaking out could ‘cause problems.’ That isn’t guidance, it’s control.” says Nate Wilbourne, Gen-Z Aotearoa founder and spokesperson, Youth MP for Damien O’Connor.

We believe MYD has failed to uphold the kaupapa of Youth Parliament, a space that should respect rangatahi as capable of holding and voicing their own views on real issues that affect our lives, rights, and futures.

Instead of leading by example, MYD is setting a dangerous precedent for youth engagement where youth voice is managed, not valued. These actions reflect a wider pattern of tokenism and disclusion that continues to disempower young people across Aotearoa.

We stand in solidarity with the Youth MPs who’ve been sidelined and silenced. Their courage deserves to be heard. We call on Parliament and MYD to reflect on this moment and do better.

We demand future Youth Parliaments:

• Restore livestreams and full public transparency.
• Reinstate Lived Experience Groups to reflect diverse voices.
• End speech interference and stop framing political awareness as political bias.
• Centre youth-led processes and accountability in the event's design and delivery.

This is not just about Youth Parliament. It’s about the wider issue of systemic exclusion. Rangatahi deserve to be respected as capable of holding and voicing their own views on real issues affecting our lives, rights, and futures. Young people are not here to perform — we are here to participate.

This statement is co-released by:

Make It 16
Gen Z Aotearoa
SchoolStrike4Climate

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