Ep 35: Hineātea Alexander – a Wāhine Māori at the Youth Parliament: what are we prepared to hear from them?

The Youth Parliament comes every three years. Young, politically minded individuals, nominated by, yet not representing, MPs from across the country. Each with the issues they want to speak to. In 2025, one part of Hineātea Alexander’s focus was on equity and justice. Here, she talks of growing up around strong people; of precious time with her tāua (her grandmother) and her pāua (her grandfather). That time included travelling around the North Island in a house-bus, hearing stories of the places they were passing through and of her tua's marae. The Youth Parliament means interacting with different opinions and trying to see from another person's perspective. That's not always easy but, for Hinetea, "a good debate should not be entered into in bad faith" and the issues that concern young people include serious struggles and the sense that these are not being taken seriously enough. If the future is where the young will spend the most time living in then what are we prepared to hear from them?