Political Powerup - Issue 6

Written by Louise Evans

Its election year, kids, and what will you be doing, come voting time? Maybe you’ve enrolled, but maybe you haven’t?

I think back on that time not so long ago, when I’d reached the right number of years to vote. I was travelling in Canada and for some forgotten reason didn’t end up getting in my overseas vote in. I remember being crushingly disappointed. I felt that I had entered the mysterious world of grown up contribution to society where I was supposed to, at the very least, read the paper from front to back (even real estate, it’s all part of the political circus, right...?) and I hadn’t had a chance to do my bit.

Why was it that I was so disappointed? When I think of it now it was about reaching that time where I could connect personal opinion about society with national. With politics we get to see grand scheme of values, codes and morals being played out in the public arena, on a national level, and for me I found it solidifying my views on how I wanted my life and my country to be.

Growing up, my parents were great in how honest they were about what they knew and didn’t know. They were active in lobbying and presenting submissions to local councils and government, and believed that this would make a difference, and often it did, whether through years of persistence, the help of others, or just by making the right point at the right time. They explained as much as possible to my brother and I about the various processes, about the importance of both regional and national politics and never told me to vote for one person or party. I suppose I’m lucky. The thing with voting is that you can vote for whoever you like, and my parents trusted me to be able to make that decision. But it’s the idea that I must find the right person to invest my vote in that I like best, and that I have to apply both methodology and intuition to carry it out.  

In this article we have asked Simeon Brown, Nina Hall and Matthew Flinn, three young politically active people, about their passion for politics and why they think that young people should vote.



Tell us about what you do and how you became involved with politics.
 
Simeon: I am a student at Manurewa High School currently doing Level 3 NCEA. I have been interested in politics for a number of years now and joined the National Party this year. I made this decision because I believe in individual freedom and choice and personal responsibility. These values are reflected in National Party policy.
I have been interested in politics for a number of years, but didn't really become involved till the beginning of 2007. At first I began by lobbying MP's to vote against the "anti-smacking" bill and then against the Electoral Finance Bill. After sending an email to MP's asking them to vote against the Electoral Finance Bill I received some interesting e-mail's from Chris Carter the Minister of Education, one of which had about 14 spelling mistakes in it!!  In late 2007 I was asked to join the National Party by a Young Nat, which I did this year. Now I am helping out with Cam Calder's campaign for National in Manurewa and also with the Young Nats city-wide.

Nina: Protesting against Myanmar’s military rule, lobbying John Banks to address climate change and campaigning for better public transport are just a few of the political actions I’ve taken this year. I’m currently coordinating the Auckland Young Greens, a network of young Green party members. I am also involved in the Greens on Campus, the University of Auckland Green’s club, and was co-leader of it last year. In these roles I collaborate with other young activists to raise the profile of the Green party and campaign for action on climate change and human rights issues.
My interest in politics began at an early age: sitting around the dinner table in the windy capital debating whatever parliament had recently signed off. This desire to learn more about social and political change led me to study politics at university. At university, thanks to a lecturer, I became politically charged. In one of my undergraduate classes Paul Buchanan, our lecturer, asked “how many of you are members of political parties?” It was 2005, election year, and only one person raised their hand. That made me think about what it meant to study politics but not actually be involved with it at a grass-roots, practical level. So I signed up to the Greens.
Matthew: Between February and September of this year I worked in an advisory role in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark. This involved reviewing official documentation for public release under the Official Information Act, sourcing information which the Prime Minister might want to review before answering questions in Parliament, and generally helping out.
Prior to that, I had not really had much active political experience. However, I followed the political issues of the day through the media, and indeed had been an active observer of New Zealand politics since the general election in 1996.It must have been the element of competition inherent in an election that snared my interest, and I soon became acquainted with the personalities and topical issues. Even at the tender age of 9 I was a great admirer of Helen Clark, and I'm gratified to say that after six months of working for her and her team in Wellington, this admiration has been validated and enhanced.  

Can young people make a difference by voting? What will encourage them to vote?

Simeon: Yes, everybody's vote is worth the same but Generation ‘Y’ make up a very important part of the electorate. They are the future of this country and therefore the way they vote today influences the New Zealand which they will lead tomorrow.
Young people are encouraged to vote by a number of things. They are encouraged to vote by their peers and role models especially. But it isn't a matter of bribing people to vote which will encourage young people to vote but by emphasising the responsibility and duty which are associated with voting. Young people are just as much affected by the decisions which are made by politicians as anyone else, therefore they need to be active in the electoral process to choose the decision makers which best reflect their own values.
Nina: Yes of course! We can all really make a difference by voting. Election Day in many ways is the heart of democracy. It’s judgment day for the MPs. They have to stand accountable for all that they’ve done – or not done - over the past parliamentary term.
It’s giving power back to the people. We can decide, within the bounds of our parliamentary democracy, how we want to be governed.
As young people it is particularly important to vote, but many don’t. We need to ensure that the interests of young people are represented: whether it be on issues of student loans or social justice. But more than half of young New Zealanders are unaware that it’s election year. In fact, as of August this year almost 110,000 18 to 24 year olds hadn’t enrolled to vote. That’s the equivalent of all the eligible voters in Rotorua, Gisborne and Nelson combined!
Yet it’s young people that should be voting for the society that they want to live in and have their kids live in. We need to weigh up carefully the options and reflect on what's important for us as well as for society as a whole.
Matthew: Of course - all too frequently one encounters the attitude: "I'm just one person – my single vote won't make any difference". This defeatist outlook neglects the vital fact that it is not the point of a democracy for any one vote to be decisive! The point is to get a reflective picture of the attitudes and values of society as a whole.
The vote of a single young person will not force the issues he or she cares about to the top of the political agenda, but the votes of all young people will ensure that the issues important to them as a group will receive a good degree of priority. And this is important, since the challenges facing young people (student loans for example), and their values and attitudes will in many cases be different from those of older generations, which tend to be more conservative.
Further to that, I think we have a duty to vote. If you vote along the same lines as your friend with similar beliefs, you add your voice to his or hers, and make it louder and stronger. If you leave it to them to vote, then you leave them to stand alone – and then their vote will probably not make a difference. If nothing else, remember that it was in no small part due to the lethargy of young people that George W. Bush was given eight years in the White House!
As for encouraging young people to vote, it is up to the politicians and the media to engage with young people about the things that matter to them, and about the political process in general. At least Morph magazine is doing its bit!

What should people read, see, and listen to in order understand the political process?

Simeon: There are many media which young people can use to keep in touch with politics and the political process. It depends mainly on what you use. For example if you are on the net frequently then there are many blogs which you can read on politics. The well known Kiwi Blog keeps readers up to date with what is happening in politics. Many MP's also have their own blogs and Facebook pages. These forms of information are probably the most accessible to Generation Y and the most attractive.
In order to really get to understand the political process you can listen to parliament on the Radio or watch it on Freeview. These help you to see and hear politicians at work and to gain an understanding of the political process in parliament.
But by far the easiest way to understand the political process is to get involved - join up like I did and see it in action for yourself!
Nina: The main newspapers are a good start for a basic understanding of New Zealand party politics and election issues. Both the Herald and the Dominion Post employ permanent parliamentary reporters and political commentators whose job it is to be our eyes and ears in parliament. They publish weekly columns on Saturday as well as articles during the week. Watch out for: John Armstrong, Chris Trotter, Nicky Hagar (Sunday Star times) and Colin James. Local newspapers will also give you information more specifically about your electorate MP and local issues.
For those who prefer to listen to their news, National Radio has a great political discussion every Monday at 11.05 with right-winger Matthew Hooton and left-winger Laila Harre (former Alliance Party). Or try your own student radio station: bfm has excellent political discussions from 12-2pm most days. The internet is also an excellent source for political junkies: you can check out each party’s election websites, commentary on blogs such as the Green Party’s frog blog, and look at Hansard the record of all the political debates going in parliament. During the next few months there will also be lots of opportunity to hear MPs talk in the flesh.
Alternatively a great way to start hearing more about politics is to attend social events such as ‘Drinking Liberally’, which happens regularly at Southern Cross bar in Wellington, as well as The London Bar on Queen St. in Auckland. Young Greens have social drinks on the first Tuesday of every month at Verona from 7pm and we would love to see you there!
Matthew: That depends on the definition of "political process". For processes of developing and passing legislation, which are inevitably linked to politics, you can visit the website of Parliament or borrow explanatory manuals and books from the library e.g. the Cabinet Manual (revised just this year) or the Standing Orders of Parliament. The same resources are also useful for understanding the mechanics of elections and the formation and dissolution of governments. They should contain the answers toany technical questions.
The political process in a general sense is more amorphous. At the most basic level politics involves (or should involve) a debate about substantive ideas and philosophies. But this cannot simply take place in the ivory towers of academic institutions. The wider political process requires engagement with ordinary people, and that means using language and images which will make this engagement and communication effective.
Getting to grips with this aspect of politics develops over time – I'm still in the early stages of learning all about it! The best path to understanding, I think, is to familiarise yourself with the substantive issues attracting political attention e.g. the emissions trading scheme, or criminal law and sentencing. Read the newspapers and political blogs on the internet to get a sense of what the basic positions of the competing political parties are, how they differ and why, and how they seek to convince you and me that they are right and their opponents are wrong.

How can people be involved and keep up with politics outside election time?

Simeon: There are many ways for young people to be involved in politics between elections. Political parties are always in operation and doing something in the electorate. By joining a political party you can keep up to date with politics through mailing lists and by volunteering at the numerous events which they have during the year (ie, stalls at University club days). The Young Nats is an organisation where young people interested in politics can socialise, have fun at the many party events and also learn about how the political process works.
Also as said above, you can keep up with politics by joining a mailing list or by using Facebook. For example John Key has a Facebook page where he uploads his latest speeches, policies and video Journals.
Nina: If you are interested in a particular political party you can volunteer your time, go along to meetings and offer your thoughts on policy. Parties are always looking for young members with enthusiasm and curiosity to help out!
Take action on an issue that is important to you by, for instance, organising or attending a protest against human rights abuses in Burma, lobby your local government to address environmental issues, or circulate a petition for better wages. Most New Zealand university campuses have a wide range of student-led groups already taking action on these issues which you can join. They are a great place to learn more about politics, and build a network of friends who have similar interests and concerns.
Matthew: There are heaps of options for involvement in politics, on a local, national and global scale! You might like to consider joining the youth branch of a political party you support, or a Non-Government Organisation such as Amnesty International or Greenpeace which work with clear political goals in mind.  
Keep watching the news, listening to the radio and reading the newspapers. The key to involvement is engagement, and the key to engagement is understanding.

Anything more that you would like to add?
Nina: Politics is about power, which most of the time is wielded by government. Elections are when YOU have the power, so use it!
Matthew: We are blessed to live in such an open democracy, where we have the right to vote, and where our votes are counted. Celebrate that by making the most of it.