The Tukituki electorate has a new Youth MP who will bring the region's most pressing youth needs to a national attention from the heart of Parliament.
Sitting Tukituki MP, National's Lawrence Yule, confirmed Lindisfarne College student James Cowan would be the electorate's representative.
As part of the Youth MP programme, the Year 12 pupil will next year attend a two-day Parliament in Wellington as a Youth MP for the electorate to debate issues that youth candidates have selected to discuss.
Before that, the 17-year-old would be shadowing MP Lawrence Yule to see what was involved in representing the electorate - including meeting National Party leader Simon Bridges at next week's Hawke's Bay Show.
He said he was "excited" about taking up the Youth MP role.