The six month Youth Parliament 2019 programme provides an opportunity for young people from around Aotearoa New Zealand to actively work and be heard on topics and issues they are passionate about.
Participant Selection Now Open
The participant selection period for Youth Parliament 2019 runs from 12 August to 19 October 2018.
There are two roles available to young people interested in participating in the Youth Parliament 2019 programme – becoming a Youth Member of Parliament (Youth MP) or a Youth Press Gallery Member.
The Youth Parliament 2019 programme will occur from 1 March to 31 August 2019, with 120 Youth MPs and up to 20 Youth Press Gallery members attending the two-day Youth Parliament event in Wellington on 16 and 17 July 2019.
Role of Youth MPs
Each Member of Parliament (MP) will select a Youth MP to represent them and young people from their community.
Youth MPs will submit potential topics to be discussed at Youth Parliament, deliver projects, engage with the MP who selected them, connect with their peers to understand their views on topics to be discussed at the two-day Youth Parliament event, and access other opportunities.
At the Youth Parliament event in July 2019, Youth MPs will learn about parliamentary and government decision making processes through participating in general and mock legislative debates, sitting on Youth Parliament select committees and asking parliamentary questions of Ministers.
All Youth MPs will be provided with training to help them understand their role and to support them to prepare for the two-day Youth Parliament event in Wellington.
Eligibility to be a 2019 Youth MP
To be eligible to be a selected as a Youth MP for Youth Parliament 2019, young people need to be aged 16 to 18 years at the close of the participant selection period on 19 October 2018.
2019 Youth MP Selection Process
Young people interested in becoming a 2019 Youth MP should contact their local electorate or list MP to enquire about the selection process they are using to recruit their Youth MP. To find out who your local MP is and how to contact them, please visit the list of MPs on the Parliamentary website.
Role of Youth Press Gallery Members
The Youth Press Gallery replicates an important part of our democratic process, taking the role of independent media reporting on Youth MPs and Youth Parliament.
The Parliamentary Press Gallery will select up to 20 Youth Press Gallery members, who will profile and report on Youth MPs and their activities during their tenure, including reporting on the two-day Youth Parliament event.
Articles and other content created by Youth Press Gallery members help to gain media coverage for Youth Parliament and build interest among young people in what goes on at Parliament.
The opportunity to be part of the Youth Press Gallery provides a unique developmental opportunity for young people who aspire to become journalists or who are interested in the workings of Government from the perspective of the Press Gallery.
Youth Press Gallery members will be provided with training to inform them on Youth Parliament and prepare them for their role.
Eligibility for the 2019 Youth Press Gallery
To be eligible to be selected as a Youth Press Gallery member for Youth Parliament 2019, young people need to be aged 16 to 24 years at the close of the participant selection period on 19 October 2018.
2019 Youth Press Gallery Selection Process
Young people interested in becoming part of the 2019 Youth Press Gallery can apply through the Ministry of Youth Development’s online application service.
Applicants will need to answer these questions:
Why have you applied to become a member of the Youth Press Gallery 2019?
Why do you believe you are a good candidate for the role?
Applicants will need to supply supporting evidence:
a current Curriculum Vitae (CV), including full contact details for two referees
at least two examples of their work with at least one of these being a written piece
an opinion piece, submitted either in written form (maximum of 500 words) or a video or radio clip (1-2 minutes), on one of the following topics:
What is an issue affecting young people that Members of Parliament need to take more notice of and why?
How well do you think Members of Parliament are tackling issues that are important to young people? Do they need to be doing more?
Submitting to Youth Parliament Select Committee Hearings
The New Zealand public will have the opportunity during the first half of 2019 to submit to the ten planned Youth Parliament select committee hearings.
Young people (aged 12-24 years) are particularly encouraged to submit their views on the topics selected to be discussed at the 2019 Youth Parliament event.
More information on the submission process will be provided when available.
Need More Information on Youth Parliament 2019?
If you have any questions, you can contact the Youth Parliament team at the Ministry of Youth Development at beheard@youthparliament.govt.nz.