Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
The government is rejecting accusations it is censoring Youth MPs, however, some of the young people aren't buying its reasoning for making changes to their speeches.
The Ministry of Youth Development says the changes focus on clarity, keeping Youth Parliament non-partisan and protecting them from legal risk with the final decisions left to young people.
However, the email sent to one Youth MP carries the subject line "changes required", and stated the ministry "have had to make some changes".
Labour says the government is undermining the whole point of the Youth Parliament which is only held every three years.
Youth MP and Year 12 student Lincoln Jones, of Auckland, said they had received Standing Orders to follow but some Youth MPs were chosen to give speeches during the general debate in the House and these had to be submitted to the ministry.
The Youth MPs were then sent speeches edited by the ministry's staff.
"Things that were removed were things that criticise or spoke about existing legislation, government policy, government ministers."
They were also told topics or questions to Ministers were not to be fact or opinion and had to be "politically neutral", leaving them wondering what they could talk about.
"So there was a lot of unexpected rules and things in place that we did not see coming ... lots of the key content in our speeches had been cut because they did not fit I guess what the ministry was looking for."
Jones who is due to speak in the House on Wednesday morning, said he will be delivering an unedited version of his speech and knew others intended doing the same.
"We'll be speaking as the rangatahi of New Zealand."
He said they all understood they had to abide by standing orders, however, all the changes that had been requested were changes that might have criticised the government.
One of his friends was pushing for literacy programmes for young people but this had been deemed "anti-rich".
Jones said the 123 Youth MPs represented diverse opinions from across the spectrum and did not speak with a single voice.
"We thought we would have the freedom to be able to voice our own concerns and opinions and not be censored as such."
'There is no censorship'
Youth Minister James Meager said there was no censorship, instead the ministry was trying to ensure the Youth MPs were protected from any future social media abuse or legal problems.
Speaking to Morning Report, he referred to two emails that had been sent as guidance to the Youth MPs, including one that had advised them they weren't protected by privilege, unlike current MPs.
Asked if he had seen what had been redacted in the speeches, he said he hadn't but the Youth MPs he had heard on Tuesday had been "robust, they were challenging and they were direct and I thought they were all really good".
He was worried some of the Youth MPs might say things that ended up online and exposed them to being "trolled online".
Meager said the Youth Parliament was a taxpayer-funded initiative and the participants shouldn't be aligned with political parties.
"There is no censorship ... ultimately it's up to them as to what they say ... and the ministry will continue to support them if there is any fallout from here."
A wide range of views had been expressed by those who gave speeches yesterday and the young people were clear on trying to challenge existing policies, Meager said.
'Cuts against point' - Hipkins
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins says it's against the spirit of Youth Parliament to have young parliamentarians censored.
Hipkins accused the government of undermining the Youth Parliament with its instructions that it shouldn't be criticised and Ministers shouldn't be named.
"Parliament is political and young people are entitled to be political as well. I think this is censorship and I think young people should be entitled to be free to say what they want within the confines of the law.
"Censoring legitimate political debate completely cuts against the point of Youth Parliament."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Teenagers had received emails from the ministry headlined "Changes required" which would sound "very like a direction".
Parliament doesn't hear from young people very much and they should be allowed free rein with the opportunity only given to them once every three years.
