Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Political Conversation With Youth Voices

By Clayton Mitchell, New Zealand First MP
Bay of Plenty Times·
5 Oct, 2016 10:34 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

MP Clayton Mitchell. Photo/Andrew Warner

MP Clayton Mitchell. Photo/Andrew Warner

This week I met with some forward-thinking students at Otumoetai College, in an effort to encourage more participation in our democracy. These young electors asked some tough questions, and, yes, there were a couple of good-humoured and respectful disagreements as well.

They have instigated political discourse among themselves, after realising that decisions being made at Local and Central Government levels, will have a direct impact on their futures. Wouldn't it be great if every school child looked forward to their 18th birthday, as marking the beginning of making their political voices heard, rather than - for some - simply their first legal opportunity to buy cigarettes and alcohol?

These young voters are more evidence of the real need for Civics to be part of our education system. If we can dispel myths and clarify elements of the political process, it can only make it easier, and therefore more likely that keen young minds will become engaged in the governing of their own country.

Young people do care about the state of New Zealand. They've lived through successive red and blue governments, who have messed things up for them; They've seen their older siblings, cousins, and, in some cases even parents, held down by crippling tertiary education debt.

It was great being able to discuss New Zealand First's Upfront Investment in Education Policy. Learning they have a chance to gain a qualification without mortgaging their futures, in exchange for using it first in New Zealand, was very positively received.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I came away confident that, at the very least, they were preparing themselves to make informed political decisions. The more informed voters we have in New Zealand, the better off we New Zealanders will all be. Engaged young people won't allow themselves to become disenfranchised; They will be more likely to propose and pursue positive responses to future challenges; They will identify and create new opportunities, and we will all benefit.

It's our job to listen to, encourage, and invest in them developing their individual political voices to exercise.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty TimesUpdated

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM

Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash which has closed SH29.

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM
Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP