Political knowledge lacking: Thames youth MP
Thames youth MP Amy Williams is keen to talk politics with school students.
Young people do not know enough about politics, according to a Thames youth MP.
Seventeen-year-old Amy Williams is a youth MP for the Coromandel, chosen by National MP Scott Simpson.
The Thames High School student says she discovered a lack in political knowledge after talking to school students in her area.
“I feel this is partly because we do not cover national politics in our education curriculum and therefore students do not have much knowledge.”
With the Thames Rotary Club, Williams hopes to talk to students about politics throughout the year.
“If our young people know nothing about politics but are allowed to vote at 18, what future will our government have… uneducated students who vote for whoever their parents or friends are maybe?”
Williams’ claims coincide with her support for this week’s Youth Parliament mock bill. It proposes lowering the voting age to 17, making voting compulsory, introducing an electronic voting system, and extending the parliamentary term to four years.
“There is always pressure to make voting more appealing to the younger population, and with two of the areas of lowering the voting age and making electronic voting a method, it would achieve this,” she said.
Youth Parliament happens every three years as a chance to give 121 nationally selected youth MPs a practical insight into New Zealand’s political system through the mock bill debate and select committees.
Williams is part of the health select committee, which asks if youth are taking enough responsibility for preventing substance abuse or if the government should intervene.
She says Youth Parliament is a great opportunity and is excited about being able to communicate the views of her community’s youth.
