Opinion: Teach kids about voting

Te Ururoa Flavell uses school visits to educate children about the importance of voting. PHOTO/FILE

Tena ano tatou katoa.

I begin today by congratulating our mayor Steve Chadwick and the successful councillors who we have on board our council for the next three years.

While we were fortunate to have so many talented and able people put their names forward at these elections, it was disappointing that so many people did not vote.

You certainly couldn't help but know that the elections were coming up, there were billboards everywhere, there were adverts in the papers, on social media, in my articles, on the radio - it was everywhere.

Perhaps people think their vote isn't worth anything, or they didn't receive papers. Maybe it's simpler than that, and maybe some people just don't care.

There have been discussions online around how some people simply aren't brought up in houses where voting is important, nor discussed. And this is probably true, so we need to understand more about why our people don't vote at local body and general elections and insist on more civics education in schools, in our homes and on our marae.

In the meantime, the Maori Party secured $4m in this year's budget to improve electoral participation and we will continue to lobby for changes to ensure fairer rules around representation too.

I certainly take every opportunity I get when invited to schools to explain how important one vote can be, and to explain the parliamentary process because I know that it may be the only time our rangatahi get to see, meet, or hear from a politician in their lifetime.

They need to know that the decisions we make, and I don't just mean we in Parliament, but the decisions made by councillors too, affect them in some way.

Likewise, when people come to my office one of the first things that my staff do is check whether they are enrolled to vote, and whether their address is correct. But it can't just come from me, these conversations need to be had in homes, kura and on the marae.

Kia kaha e hoa ma, let's make sure that everyone is involved and enrolled for the big elections next year.

I welcome your feedback. Email mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz Phone 0508 924 274.

- Te Ururoa Flavell is the Waiariki MP and co-leader of the Maori Party.