Chester Borrows: Come on and be a youth MP

THE flag debate got new legs yesterday when the Government and the Greens hatched a plan to add Red Peak to the possibilities for voters.

A senior Cabinet minister got the boot for who really knows what. People used language that was pretty tame to everybody else, but "un-parliamentary" to 121 of us and had to "stand, withdraw and apologise".

I can no longer tell whether Parliament's collective behaviour in any one week has enhanced public opinion, or the opposite.

It could be that some teachers and parents do not want to be associated with bad behaviour.

Maybe they think that sending young minds to Parliament to take part in the triennial Youth Parliament is setting them up for a life of tetchiness and ridicule, or maybe it is that politicians just bore everyone to death - either way, I have always wondered why more young people do not nominate themselves for two days in Parliament's debating chamber and select committees learning about our democratic processes.

This year, the Youth Parliamentarian will also accompany me within the Whanganui electorate for some local events in preparation for attendance in Wellington, so they should get a well-rounded view of an MP's duties.

Every third year, I write to all secondary schools and offer the opportunity, but rarely do pupils respond with applications. Of a catchment of maybe 1500 eligible students, I am lucky to have six replies - and they usually come from one of two schools.

But the opportunity to come to Wellington and argue in Parliament's hotbed of political debate must surely be attractive to a wider audience.

So, in an attempt to make it as easy as possible, this year I am calling for applications of about 500 words or less stating why the applicant would be ideal for the role and a political statement about thoughts on policies or laws that need changing - plus contact details.

They can be as inflammatory or controversial as applicants like but, hopefully, will show a passion for New Zealand and its parliamentary processes.

Applicants can be from any end of the political spectrum and will be whittled down through a pre-selection process to five, each of whom I will interview, before selecting a Youth Parliamentarian to represent the Whanganui electorate.

So I look forward to arguments for and against a lower minimum wage; end-of-life choices; legalisation of cannabis; greater or smaller numbers of refugees in New Zealand's quota; tighter or looser immigration policy; tighter and looser economic policy; the abolishment of the jury system; open prisons; zero unemployment. The possibilities are boundless.

Applications should be emailed to my EA at Parliament - logan.morton@parliament.govt.nz.

Or to my Whanganui office - chester.wanganui@parliament.govt.nz.

They should reach us by noon on Friday, October 2. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for a face-to-face or telephone interview the next week. More information is available at www.youthparliament.govt.nz.

-Chester Borrows is the MP for Whanganui.