Hawke’s Bay apprentice Fletcher Brown selected for Youth Parliament

Act MP Cameron Luxton and Youth MP Fletcher Brown.

A budding Hawke’s Bay tradie will swap his overalls for a suit when he heads to Youth Parliament after being selected as the Youth MP of an Act MP.

Cameron Luxton, Parliament’s only licensed building practitioner, has selected Fletcher Brown, a 17-year-old heavy automotive engineering apprentice from Hawke’s Bay, as his Youth MP.

Luxton describes Brown as the kind of young Kiwi who gets up early, gets his hands dirty, and adds real value to his community.

“That kind of contribution deserves a voice in Parliament,” he said.

Fletcher is currently training through MITO, an industry training organisation supporting on-the-job learning in various sectors, where he is training with a focus on agricultural and horticultural equipment, work Luxton said keeps the region’s farms and orchards running smoothly.

“Speaking with Fletcher, I can tell he’s passionate about what he does and he’s got a strong head on his shoulders,” he said.

“Tradies and practical people are under-represented in politics, and that includes Youth Parliament. It’s good to have someone in there with a bit of grease on their hands who’s showing young Kiwis that you don’t have to go to university to be successful.

“I can’t wait to see him championing the young people who choose to work, pay tax and offer practical skills in exchange for an honest wage.”