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RNZ News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Youth MPs renew call to lower voting age
Thomas Brocherie. Photo: Supplied / Lola Fisher A majority of this year's youth MPs have, once again, signed an open letter calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16. Youth Parliament, held every three years, is taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was originally established in 1994 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of lowering the voting age to 18. The Make It 16 campaign was founded during Youth Parliament in 2019, making this the third consecutive Youth Parliament where young people have called for the government to lower the voting age even further . Sixty-three youth MPs from every political party represented in Parliament signed this year's open letter, extending the legacy of their predecessors. "Our diversity of thought proves that there can be cross-partisan support for this policy," the open letter read. This year's Youth Parliament was also the first since the government's withdrawal of the Electoral (Lowering Voting Age for Local Elections and Polls) Legislation Bill, drafted after the Supreme Court declared the voting age of 18 inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act in 2022 . Last year, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said he wrote to the chairperson of the Justice Committee informing him the government did not intend to support the bill through further Parliamentary stages, and requested that the committee end consideration of it . Make It 16 co-director and youth MP for the Green Party's Lan Pham, Thomas Brocherie, said it was "deeply ironic" that many of them will not be able to vote in this year's local election "despite being invited to stand up for our communities on a national stage". "Fundamentally, 16- and 17-year-olds will deal with issues that politicians deliberate on more than any other generation, and we don't get our voices heard at the highest level with our right to vote, and I think this is the greatest shame of modern democracy. "This open letter shows that young people are capable, that we have nothing more to prove, that we can vote and that we will vote." Parliament. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson Youth MP for the National Party's Hamish Campbell, Sam Allan, said it was a "strange dynamic" to go into Youth Parliament after the withdrawal of the bill. "We're about to spend three days with politicians saying how important they find youth voice, and how amazing it is to have young people's perspectives, but they never put their money where their mouth is." Lincoln Jones. Photo: Supplied / Lola Fisher Youth MP for the Labour Party's Willie Jackson, Lincoln Jones, said lowering the voting age was about "fairness, inclusion and strengthening our democracy". "Young people are already engaged, informed, and taking action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa - from climate change to education, to mental health, to cost of living. We contribute to society, we pay taxes, and we speak out, but yet we're excluded from the most fundamental democratic right, which is voting. "The open letter, signed by a majority of youth MPs, over 60 youth MPs from across the political spectrum, across Aotearoa, sends a really clear message to Parliament: we're ready... the legal case has been won, we won at the Supreme Court, the support is growing, and the momentum is real. I guess the only thing missing now is the political will. "We're not asking for special treatment, we're not asking for anything like that, all we're asking is to be heard." Youth Minister James Meager. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi However, Youth Minister James Meager told RNZ the government had made it clear it had no intention to change the voting age. "It's great to see our youth MPs engaged in the political process and developing their advocacy skills, that's what Youth Parliament is all about," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing the robust debates on issues like this over the coming days as Youth Parliament 2025 gets underway." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Majority Of Youth MPs Back Call To Lower The Voting Age
For the second consecutive Youth Parliament, a majority of Youth MPs from across the political spectrum have signed an open letter calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16. A cross-party group of Youth MPs endorsed the letter that calls on Parliament to listen to youth voices and take action on an issue that has seen growing momentum both legally, politically and internationally, with the UK parliament poised to introduce legislation later this year. 'Youth Parliament is supposed to be a celebration of youth voice and civic engagement. It is a recognition from Parliament that we are capable of debating complex issues,' says Thomas Brocherie, 17, a Make It 16 Co-Director and 2025 Youth MP for Lan Pham. 'But it's deeply ironic that many of us will not have the right to vote in this year's local election, or even next year's general election, despite being invited to stand up for our communities on a national stage.' Sam Allan, Make It 16 spokesperson and 2025 Youth MP for Hamish Campbell, adds: ' We have been invited to share powerful lived experiences about what it means to be a young New Zealander. We have been loud and clear on climate change, youth homelessness, mental health and our education system. Unfortunately, politicians have still not caught up.' Youth Parliament was originally established in 1994 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of lowering the voting age to 18. In the spirit of that kaupapa, the Make It 16 campaign was founded during Youth Parliament in 2019 and has consistently advocated for voting rights to be extended to 16- and 17-year-olds. This is now the third consecutive Youth Parliament where young people have challenged the government of the day to listen and act on the aspirations of rangatahi. Since then, Make It 16 has won a Supreme Court case declaring the current voting age of 18 as unjustified age discrimination and has gathered widespread public, legal, and political support. But despite a Bill being introduced in Parliament in 2022, it was later axed by the National-ACT-NZ First government in early 2024 before any of the submissions made on the Bill could even be read. 'We have been invited to take part in Youth Parliament, to share our bold vision for tackling Aotearoa's biggest challenges, but at the end of the day, our voices are still being sidelined when it comes to the decisions that will disproportionately affect us in the future. It's time we were a real part of the decision-making table', says Lincoln Jones, Make It 16 Spokesperson and 2025 Youth MP for Willie Jackson. Currently 63 (and counting) Youth MPs have signed the 2025 open letter, joining the legacy of their predecessors from 2022 and 2019. Notes Open Letter:
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
National Direction Changes Mark Dark Day For People And Planet
Press Release – Green Party The Government has really shown their cards today. It could not be clearer that they are hellbent on pushing our natural environment to the brink, exploiting everything they can for any profit that can be squeezed out of it. Today's sweeping changes to environmental protections paints a damning picture of a government hellbent on profit at all costs, openly allowing more environmentally harmful activities under the guise of progress. 'Today is a dark day for rivers, lakes, streams, beaches, forests and all who enjoy and rely on these taonga across Aotearoa,' says the Green Party's Environment Spokesperson, Lan Pham. 'Taking freshwater as one example, 'Te Mana o Te Wai' offered us a clear legal framework that prioritised the health of our waterways and the health of our communities above corporate greed. 'Instead, the actions of this Government will go down in history as the most anti-environment we have ever seen. Councils and communities could be stripped of their ability to control the harmful impacts of industries like forestry, intensive farming, and mining. 'Further, the Government is making changes to enable more mining on wetlands, significant natural areas, and in places where our most precious indigenous biodiversity is. 'The Government has really shown their cards today. It could not be clearer that they are hellbent on pushing our natural environment to the brink, exploiting everything they can for any profit that can be squeezed out of it. 'If this feels like this is straight out of a deliberate playbook, it's because it is. The language of 're-balancing', 'efficiency', 'cutting red tape', and 'enabling industry' is often used, but what's really happening here is a systematic and comprehensive erosion of environmental protections. 'Truly prosperous economic activity is only possible if our planet is also thriving. We depend on healthy nature and a stable climate for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the materials for life,' says Lan Pham.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
National Direction Changes Mark Dark Day For People And Planet
Today's sweeping changes to environmental protections paints a damning picture of a government hellbent on profit at all costs, openly allowing more environmentally harmful activities under the guise of progress. 'Today is a dark day for rivers, lakes, streams, beaches, forests and all who enjoy and rely on these taonga across Aotearoa,' says the Green Party's Environment Spokesperson, Lan Pham. 'Taking freshwater as one example, 'Te Mana o Te Wai' offered us a clear legal framework that prioritised the health of our waterways and the health of our communities above corporate greed. 'Instead, the actions of this Government will go down in history as the most anti-environment we have ever seen. Councils and communities could be stripped of their ability to control the harmful impacts of industries like forestry, intensive farming, and mining. 'Further, the Government is making changes to enable more mining on wetlands, significant natural areas, and in places where our most precious indigenous biodiversity is. 'The Government has really shown their cards today. It could not be clearer that they are hellbent on pushing our natural environment to the brink, exploiting everything they can for any profit that can be squeezed out of it. 'If this feels like this is straight out of a deliberate playbook, it's because it is. The language of 're-balancing', 'efficiency', 'cutting red tape', and 'enabling industry' is often used, but what's really happening here is a systematic and comprehensive erosion of environmental protections. 'Truly prosperous economic activity is only possible if our planet is also thriving. We depend on healthy nature and a stable climate for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the materials for life,' says Lan Pham.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Markel rolls out FI solutions in Australia
Markel Insurance, the insurance operations arm of Markel Group, has launched financial institutions (FI) solutions in Australia, with 'localised wordings' to serve organisations in the sector. The launch follows the company's introduction of commercial professional indemnity solutions in 2024, as part of its strategy to offer specialty insurance products in the Australian market. The company has made available a primary investment managers insurance policy for Australian clients, with plans to unveil three additional primary wordings in July 2025. These will cover directors and officers, professional indemnity and crime for financial institutions. The FI solutions are aimed at serving a variety of entities in the financial sector, including both private and listed institutions. The target market encompasses banks, credit unions, fintech companies, investment firms, mutual funds, non-bank lenders, private equity funds, real estate investment trusts, superannuation funds and venture capital funds. Professional and financial risks senior underwriter Lan Pham will lead the new FI solutions team from Melbourne. Senior underwriter Daisy Galvin has relocated to Sydney from Markel's London office to join the Australian team. With the establishment of specialist underwriters and claims handlers in Australia, Markel aims to provide local underwriting and claims services in the region. Markel Australia managing director Rory Morison said: "The launch of these localised FI solutions follows last year's focus on Commercial Professional Indemnity and marks the next part of our journey since entering the Australian market in 2023. "We see a genuine need for more locally empowered underwriters in Australia, and we are excited to have Daisy join us from our London office to bolster our expertise in the FI space. We are very excited to bring these products to market, which combine the best of what Markel offers globally with our local IP [intellectual property] and expertise." Earlier in the month, Markel introduced a specialist cyber insurance product covering indirect losses from acts of war. "Markel rolls out FI solutions in Australia " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
