Young politicians are an emerging force, particularly at local level. But they must quickly learn to deal with the blowtorch of scrutiny.
Chlöe Swarbrick’s initial goal, almost a decade ago, was to dissolve the idea of what a typical politician looks like – middle-aged or older, more likely male. She made headlines when she campaigned for the Auckland mayoralty aged 22. She is now co-leader of the Green Party at 29, taking her place in a Parliament where the average age is 49, two years older than it was in the previous government. It ranges from Te Pāti Māori’s 21-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke to political veteran Winston Peters, 79.
In contrast, there’s a discernible downwards shift in local government in the age of mayoral and council candidates, from Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, 33, to Ben Bell, 23 when he won the mayoralty in Gore in 2022. Bell is New Zealand’s youngest ever mayor, an achievement arguably second to his invention of a GPS wristband for hospital patients, which he presented at a Stanford University medical conference six years before winning his current day job.
Bell had a confusingly controversial first year in power, though. Reports of a breakdown in his relationship with then-council CEO Stephen Parry saw calls for Bell’s resignation that cited his “behaviour” – a claim that was never expanded upon. Parry resigned after allegations of bullying and the situation was laid to rest. But in a recent interview with Stuff, Bell said he wasn’t certain he’ll seek another term, especially if the next two years end up like the first. Even local politics is a seemingly distressing environment for a young person to exist in, let alone lead.
But Bell’s experience has not put off award-winning musician Ria Hall, 40, who has announced her candidacy for the Tauranga mayoralty. Rather, she said her decision was partly inspired by other young Māori mayors, such as Tepania and Rotorua’s Tania Tapsell. The city will hold elections in July to return to elected governance after commissioners were brought in in 2020.
The Tauranga-born singer-songwriter and political science graduate is studying for a masters in regional development. She has called in some knowledgeable help for her campaign: former East Coast MP Kiritapu Allan is her campaign manager. Allan first stood for Parliament aged 33 and became justice minister in 2022 in the last government, before resigning after a being charged with careless use of a motor vehicle.
At 21, Tania Tapsell became Rotorua’s youngest elected councillor in 2013 (the title passed to 19-year-old Fisher Wang six years later). In 2016, then-Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said people voted the-then 24-year-old Tapsell onto the council because she was young, appealing and demure. “She’s not provocative and puts things firmly but gently and is not seen as strident or opinionated.”
Six years on, the 30-year-old became Rotorua’s first Māori mayor, and has proved less demure than Chadwick anticipated. She marched with students over climate change in 2019, although she supported exempting farmers from the Zero Carbon Act.
Her great-uncle Sir Peter Tapsell was Parliament’s Speaker from 1993-96 and a five-term Labour MP. Tania Tapsell ran as a National candidate in 2020 for the East Coast seat. As mayor, she and Wang have championed the re-establishment of a youth council which is targeting crises such as poverty, housing, and unemployment. Year 12 student Puhi Ropitini wants issues important to young people heard through “collaboration and mutuality”, and Year 13 student Sophia Choi wants to contribute to the community that raised her. Right now, their names are known to few. In time, they could be on your local or central government ballot paper.
Tapsell, however, voted against the introduction of Māori wards for the council and later opposed a bill that would have created an equal number of Māori ward and general seats in the district.
The coalition government’s move to force councils that introduced Māori wards under Labour to hold a referendum or scrap them has been roundly criticised by other young Māori leaders. Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau, 41, said the change was undemocratic and she had no plans to remove the city’s Māori ward. Manawatū district councillor Bridget Bell said it was hypocritical for National to stand parliamentary candidates in Māori seats but “potentially abolish” them at local level. Bell, who is in her 20s, became Manawatū's second-only Māori councillor when she was victorious in its new Māori ward in 2022.
Other young leaders are making a mark throughout local government: Hamilton, for instance, has Emma Pike, Louise Hutt and Sarah Thomson, 35, 29 and 31 when they stood for election; Gisborne’s Rawinia Parata was 32; Horowhenua’s Rogan Boyle 30 and Kāpiti Coast’s Sophie Handford was 18 when elected in 2019.
Is 40 still young? It was regarded so when Tory Whanau drew criticism for her “party girl” antics after two alcohol-related incidents; she has since said she’s getting help for her drinking. Stuff columnist Verity Johnson saw sexist and misogynistic overtones in the reaction to the fall from grace of a relatively young person in power.
Even Swarbrick expressed fears about ageism during her 2016 mayoralty run. “For some reason or another, it sounds almost arrogant to propose that, as a ‘young person’, I could think I have more to offer than my age. I’m acutely aware that even by writing this, I will be providing ammunition to the next person typing out their interpretation of my youthful, narcissistic tendencies.”
It’s hard to imagine her with similar worries now, though she remains in the younger bracket in Parliament.
Age doesn’t make young people less capable of civic leadership, but ageing might bring increased confidence and fewer naysayers (either that, or the leaders grow numb to their critics).
Some young people seek decision-making positions despite the flak they get – and many people want to vote for them. Young voters typically favour young candidates because they feel better represented by them.
A March study from Yale University and Japan’s Waseda University found voters, regardless of age, viewed young candidates as less experienced but would want to vote for them due to the longer time they could spend in power. Those surveyed felt young candidates would focus on issues such as education, childcare, climate change and anti-corruption measures.
Read more: Moko Tepania: The young, charismatic mayor shaping NZ’s future.
