New series Youth Wings is just like the election campaign but better and less old. Youth Wings was made with the support of NZ On Air. Video / The Spinoff
The Spinoff's new six-part documentary series, made with support from NZ On Air, goes behind the O Week stalls to get to know some of the youngest and most passionate members of New Zealand's main political parties.
It may be hard to imagine, but every single member of New Zealand's parliament was once young. And when they were young, many of them would have got their first taste of politics by joining a party's youth wing.
You've probably seen youth wings out doorknocking or waving hoardings at busy intersections during election campaigns. You might know them from uni, the ones wielding clipboards and passionately debating policy in the quad during O Week. Now it's time to meet six representatives of different New Zealand youth wings and find out what it is about politics – and their party in particular – that inspired them to get involved.
From Young NZ First there's Jay McLaren-Harris, who's been an admirer of Winston Peters ever since his days as a student at Peters' alma mater, Dargaville High School. Felix Poole from Young Act made the news earlier in the year for promoting a policy to legalise all drugs – not an official Act Party policy. The Young Greens embody their party's values by having two members share the spotlight in Danielle Marks and Matariki Roche. Young Labour's Adam Brand's blood runs a deep shade of Labour red, while the Young Nats' Aryana Nafissi has shown great adaptability by throwing her support behind three different leaders this year alone.
Are these six young people destined for the corridors of the Beehive in the decades to come? Is that even what they want? Why does anybody join a youth wing?
Episode One – Jay McLaren-Harris, Young NZ First
Content warning: The following contains explicit language which may offend some viewers.
Jay McLaren-Harris had always wanted to meet Winston Peters. Then one day on the main street of Dargaville, he did. Now aged 20, he's the chairman of Young NZ First.
Jay McLaren-Harris can pinpoint the precise moment he fell in love with NZ First. It was during the Northland by-election in 2015, and Winston Peters was on the campaign trail in Dargaville.
As a student at Dargaville High School, where Peters once captained the First XV, McLaren-Harris (Ngāti Maniapoto) suggested to his principal that the NZ First leader should be invited to speak to the school. His principal declined – then days later, extended an invitation to National candidate Mark Osborne instead.
"I stormed straight to [his] office and said "hey, look, what's going on?" McLaren-Harris remembers. "He basically turned around and said 'Jay, look at the values on our wall.' And he pointed to integrity and he said, 'Winston doesn't have integrity."
Young NZ First Chairman Jay Mclaren-Harris. Photo/Eddy Fifield
"That was the moment I said, 'no, that's absolutely wrong. You are wrong.'"
McLaren-Harris skipped class and ran to Dargaville town centre to watch Peters speak. He ran back to school a NZ First supporter.
At 20 years old, he's now the chairman of Young NZ First, working hard behind the scenes, attending party meetings and travelling the country to spread the word of his political idol Winston Peters at university orientation weeks.
Episode Two – Adam Brand, Young Labour
Content warning: The following contains explicit language which may offend some viewers.
Adam Brand was born into a family of die-hard Labour supporters and raised on tales of the party's greatest achievements. Now he wants to help write the next chapter.
Adam Brand was practically born with a Labour Party rosette pinned to his nappy. The chairperson of the Princes Street youth wing comes from a long line of Labour supporters – in the wallet of almost every member of his family, he says, "you had your union membership card, and you had your Labour Party membership card".
Maybe it's no surprise, then, that when he talks about why he's proud to be a member of the party, he describes two things that happened the decade before he was born – the Springbok tour protests and the nuclear-free moment. "Everything that people are proud of in New Zealand, almost all of that came from Labour," he says.
Episode Three – Danielle Marks and Matariki Roche, Young Greens
Content warning: The following contains explicit language which may offend some viewers.
Right from day one, the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has been a party led by co-leaders. That philosophy extends to the party's youth wing, where co-convenors Danielle Marks (Te Arawa) and Matariki Roche (Ngāti Raukawa) represent the party's next generation.
As co-convenors in the Young Greens, the pair draw on their different political upbringings to keep the party honest to its environmental and social justice kaupapa. As Danielle puts it, "Our main focus is to make sure that we're at the table and not [just] being served at the table."
Young Greens Matariki Roche (Ngāti Raukawa) and Danielle Marks (Te Arawa) Photo/Eddy Fifield
Neither co-convenor sees standing for parliament in their future, however. "If I was to do it, it'd be only to show that every single person in this country is capable of being in parliament," says Danielle. "There are other places where you have more freedom to be vocally radical," says Matariki. " I don't think I could keep quiet all that well."
Danielle offers another perspective: "Maybe that's an even better reason for you to be in there."
Episode Four – Felix Poole, Young Act
Content warning: The following contains explicit language which may offend some viewers. This episode also contains themes of sexual harassment, which may be distressing to some viewers.
Young Act president Felix Poole loves the freedom his party's youth wing has to speak out and advocate for radical policy ideas. But are there certain lines that need to be drawn within the youth wing itself?
Felix Poole was a Green Party supporter in high school. Then, at university, he flipped to what many would see as the opposite end of the political spectrum. Now the 22-year-old is the president of Young Act.
Young Act President Felix Poole. Photo/Eddy Fifield
He has found his political home in libertarianism. "I think you lose yourself politically in big systems like [Young Nats or Young Labour]," he says. "That's why I like Young Act … I feel like what we advocate for and what our members advocate for is properly heard."
One of the things Young Act advocates for is the legalisation of all drugs, a policy which is not shared or endorsed by David Seymour and the Act Party. "Young Act operates differently from other youth wings," Felix explains. "We support the Act Party fully, and we're gonna advocate for Act Party's policies, but we also come up with our own ideas. We don't just do what the party wants us to do, we're a bit rebellious in that sense."
Episode Five – Aryana Nafissi, Young Nats
Content warning: The following contains explicit language which may offend some viewers.
The chair of the Northern Young Nats says her party feels like a family, and they're sticking together despite the political turmoil of 2020
Aryana Nafissi's favourite show is Question Time on Parliament TV. The Young Nats' Northern chairperson watches the repeats at night with her sister Azita, who says it "beats Real Housewives" for entertainment value. "Yeah, there's some banter," Aryana agrees.
Young National's Northern Region Chairperson Aryana Nafissi. Photo/Eddy Fifield
She joined the National Party in 2016, and was elected the Northern region chair of its youth wing earlier this year. Growing up, her family never really talked about politics. "Our dinner table discussions used to be like, 'Oh Mum, I want chickens,' says Azita (the family now has chickens). "Now it's like, 'What are your thoughts on abortion?' Which is obviously a bit more intense.
Seeing her party led by three different people within the space of two months this year has taught Aryana what a tough game politics can be. "Paula [Bennett] said it, they've all said it – it can be brutal."
Episode Six – The Debate
Content warning: The following contains explicit language which may offend some viewers. This episode also contains themes of sexual harassment, which may be distressing to some viewers.
Filmed live at the concert chamber of the Auckland Town Hall, the six leaders from the youth wings of Aotearoa's biggest political parties go head-to-head in the debate we've all been waiting for this election year.
Debate moderator Toby Manhire asks the six youth wing leaders big questions. Who'll be voting to legalise cannabis? What about the euthanasia referendum? Have the Greens been too polite as coalition partners? Why are NZ First polling so low at the moment? Why are Act polling so high? Who's the current leader of the National Party? What does the "this" in "Let's do this" mean?
