In the General Debate of the recently held Youth Parliament 2022, Youth MPs had the opportunity to speak to their peers on a wide variety of topics, from climate change to voting rights.
One particularly passionate address in the house was made by Albet Lockie, the Youth MP representing Chlöe Swarbrick.
Albet Lockie with Chlöe Swarbrick at Youth Parliament 2022 Photo: Supplied
Albet, who spoke on the troubles people who grow up and live in the care system face, said that the system had not only failed them, but that it was failing the six thousand children in state care every year.
“I went into care at 16 years old. I didn’t expect it to be good; but I also didn’t expect for my connections to be stripped from me, my right to timely healthcare and support for my disability to be failed.
"My voice, my needs, my personhood were undermined by a system that cared more about whether boxes were checked than about my actual well-being. I was dislocated, dismissed, and disappointed; time and time again.”
During their tenure as a Youth MP, Albet drew on their experience as a member of VOYCE Whakarongo Mai’s National Youth Council, an organisation that advocates for and amplifies the voices of rangatahi and tamariki with experience in care in Aotearoa, and their work on the “Whakamāwaitia tōku taiao! He hononga rangatira!” report about the barriers faced by people in care as they transitioned out of the system and access to support throughout the process.
“I sat with eleven of my peers and I listened as told me they’d been abused in state care. I listened as they told me they’d been in ten, fifteen, twenty different placements. I listened as young people told me they had no connections.” Albet said, before calling on the government to honour its parental duties to those in state care and to respect their autonomy and identity throughout their time under the Government's care.
Albet’s request to the government was drawn from the 6 Promises for 6000 campaign, which calls on the government to make six commitments to youth in state care. The six promises are as follows:
- I promise New Zealand will honour its duty of parental care to you and provide for you.
- I promise to prioritise stability for you throughout your life.
- I promise you will be given the support and means to participate and pursue your education goals and aspirations.
- I promise that you will have timely access to the health services you need.
- I promise to ensure you have a say in all the decisions made about you while in care.
- I promise to support you to develop your identity, know your whakapapa and grow your sense of self.
New Zealand Youth Parliament is a triennial event. YP 22 was held from 18-20 July. Youth MPs were chosen by their respective MPs to represent them in Parliament and provide a voice for young people in New Zealand. While there, Youth MPs had the opportunity to speak on a topic of importance to them, debate a mock bill and question ministers on issues affecting Youth in New Zealand.
Albet Lockie’s full speech can be found here on Parliament TV On Demand while all the speeches by this year's Youth MPs are also available.
*Achim Hanne is a member of the Youth Press Gallery which takes the role of independent media reporting on Youth MPs and Youth Parliament 2022. This article can be republished freely on your platform subject to the following conditions:
- It must be republished as is (this can include visuals credited to VNP or NZ Parliament)
- It must include the following attribution to RNZ as the copyright owner: This story was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission.
