The hallowed halls of our iconic Parliament. No one gets there unless they're driven by ambition and a will to make New Zealand better.
Its current member representing Nelson and Richmond, Rachel Boyack, has appointed her Youth MP for the triennial event at the Beehive, where knowledge of Aotearoa’s democracy substantiates for up to 123 young people.
Youth Parliament is also their moment in the spotlight where MPs can make or lose their reputation, putting their cards on the table to persuade government decision-making.
Nayland College student Emmy McKay pipped seven other “amazing” 16 to 18-year-olds at the post to be elected to Nelson’s Youth MP seat with an audacious, personal-angled speech about solutions to mental health services and its access for young people.
Rachel, along with Nelson City councillor James Hodgson and one of Rachel’s staffers, Sarah Kerby, made up the judging panel.
An accomplished debater, Emmy, 17, says she is “excited” to enter Parliament for the first time in July, which will also be her first visit to Wellington that she can recall, having last visited when she was around five.
“It's going to be an awesome opportunity to participate and meet all the other cool young people that are also Youth MPs, and I think it'll be a very rewarding experience,” she says.
“I've kind of always had that underlying interest of being curious, but starting debating in Year 9 has been really helpful with exploring that further.
“I'm hoping to gain a more cohesive look of how our government works… and then also absorb all the knowledge and views the other [Youth MPs] have.”
Emmy says her speech and Q&A session at Yaza Cafe, which ultimately decided the successful applicant, was preceded by an essay application to Rachel which outlined an issue affecting young people in Nelson, Aotearoa, or globally.
The nexus of hers was the “overlooked” quality of mental health services and its access for young people, which she’s had a personal run-in with, and she believes needs work due to a complicated world.
“There’s a lot that young people are concerned about… we’ve got a lot of worrying things going on in the world with the environment, climate change… and in general we see a bunch of not-so-nice things happening across the world to do with basic human rights,” she says.
“I think for a lot of young people, the issues are often around getting past that money barrier to access [some mental health services], and I know that's something I've had a few issues with.
“The free resources that are available, sometimes they're not always very helpful or what's best, and so looking at ways we can improve that alongside how we can help those facing monetary barriers.”
Emmy’s four-month Youth MP tenure to equip her for July will involve engaging with local young people to garner issues facing them.
Rachel says she was “blown away” by the talent the applicants possessed and says Emmy would make “an amazing contribution” at Youth Parliament.
