MANDY SMITH Politics may be the calling for some people, but not this trio. Tamatea High School's head girl Te Arai Millar-Hetet and headboy Joel Majer and Hastings Girls' High School head girl Jessica Pollard, all 17, were among the pupils who attended this morning's Leadership Breakfast at Park Estate Winery. "I don'tfind politics that interesting," Joel said, as he sipped the last of his complementary orange juice. "My real passion is photography but I want to keep my options open." Medicine was the goal for Jessica, while Te Arai was eyeing a communications degree. Fortunately for the organisers of the event, National MPs Craig Foss and Chris Tremain, the main purpose was not to headhunt the nation's future leaders. It was to celebrate school leaders and promote Youth Parliament 2007, a three-yearly event that sees a youth from each electorate take a seat in Parliament for two days. Lindisfarne College old boy and former youth MP Jordan Williams, 20, joked to the pupils that it was an opportunity to spend 48 hours experiencing the life of an MP, "staying at flash hotels, with endless free food and all on the taxpayers account". Jordan said Youth Parliament was a rare opportunity to hold the government accountable, and "meet the movers and skakers of our generation". The 2007 event will be in July.
