Youth MP has eyes on new conservation legislation

Clayton Mitchell, Tauranga list MP for New Zealand First, and Youth MP Jake Hoffart. Photo / Supplied

A Tauranga teenager is hoping to turn his two-day parliamentary trip into new conservation legislation.

Jake Hoffart, 16, will next year take a seat in the Beehive thanks to a nomination from Clayton Mitchell, list MP for New Zealand First based in Tauranga. Jake is one of 121 New Zealand Youth MPs who will sit in Parliament in July 2016. Jake has already spoken to Mr Mitchell about a proposal to increase recycling rates in New Zealand.

"I've asked Clayton whether he would be keen to create a member's bill that brings a mandatory container deposit system to New Zealand," Jake said.

"If every beverage container had a refundable value, we'd instantly stop seeing bottles and cans lying about on our streets and in our lakes and rivers. I've seen this work really well in Canada."

Jake said the proposal also made excellent financial sense, essentially paying for itself.