A group of Tauranga young guns have given the leaders of New Zealand a run for their money at this year's Youth Parliament.
Tauranga secondary school students Jake Hoffart, Grahame Woods, Hugo Thompson and Rotorua student Ngahaki Gardiner were selected last year to represent the region as Youth MPs this week along with 121 others throughout the country. Aquinas College student Jamie Regan, 16, and Mount Maunganui College recent graduate Alexander Goldsmith, 18, were two of 17 students who acted as youth press gallery.
The Youth MPs and youth press gallery members took part in mock debates, caucus sessions and select committees.
''The whole thing is pretty much run exactly as normal Parliament for a couple of days,'' Jamie said.
''As part of the press gallery, we had workshops with journalists from the Herald and radio, we've walked around and talked to all sorts of people and gained information about what they do.''