Nikau Adams used his Youth MP role to spotlight rural Northland challenges.
Nikau Adams has spent the past term giving the Far North’s rangatahi a voice in Youth Parliament. Now, as his term ends, he is turning his focus to mentoring his cousin to ensure voices from the Far North continue to be heard.
Adams participated in New Zealand’s triennial Youth Parliament programme, which allows young people to get a first-hand experience of Parliament by taking on roles such as youth Members of Parliament and members of the press gallery and other roles.
While grateful for being part of the important kaupapa he said there was still work to be done and that is why he decided to mentor his cousin, Waitapurangi Tautari.
In his time as a Youth MP Adams brought forth problems faced by Far North communities like challenges with distance, connectivity and opportunities.
His decision to put himself forward for the programme built up over time.
“What really pushed me to act was seeing a gap between those lived experiences here in our communities and the policies being discussed nationally. I believed our perspective could be more included in that conversation. The Youth Parliament programme struck me as the most practical way to bridge that gap.”
He said “the most valuable part of the experience was the privilege of representing our people”.
“Having the chance to be a direct voice for our rangatahi and our communities in the Beehive was a powerful responsibility and the greatest honour of the role.”
Among the issues he advocated for was the importance of government institutions earning and maintaining public trust.
He had the opportunity to deliver a general debate speech in the House where he argued that trust is the lifeblood of democracy.
Alongside this he worked on more local and regional issues such as how the government can use sports to uplift the hauora of rangatahi.
“I also consistently advocated for Northland-specific issues and the unique problems facing young people in rural areas, such as digital connectivity and access to transport, which are fundamental barriers to opportunity.”
During his term he said he saw how important it was for Northland to have a strong and authentic voice in spaces like Youth Parliament. This was the catalyst for deciding to mentor Tautari.
“She’s well connected to our region, whether it’s through kapa haka, supporting whānau, or just understanding what matters to rangatahi up here, and she genuinely cares about making things better. I didn’t want our region’s voice to fade with the end of my term. My cousin’s not someone who talks about problems, she’s right in there, living the reality of being a young person in Hokianga.”
For his cousin, seeing one of MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke’s speeches go viral was what set off a spark in her to consider Youth Parliament.
“After watching that over and over, that was the trigger. I wanted to stand in a space like that. Then, watching my cousin stand for Youth Parliament fuelled my fire even more to stand up for my generation.”
Her passion for the natural world is something she hopes to push should she have the opportunity.
“I’m most passionate about our taiao, ensuring it thrives for the next generation and those to come, and reviving our reo and our tikanga.”
“We need support for off-grid living initiatives. The cost of living is so high, and we need more support and kaitiakitanga opportunities so we can live off the whenua, but for that to happen, our whenua needs to thrive first.”
She said she is grateful to have her cousin on her side and appreciates him helping her through effective communication and encouragement.
“He’s supported me to follow in his footsteps while being true to myself.”