September 26, 2024 • 11 mins
The Hastings youth council has made a successful bid to get voting rights.
Hastings District Council has narrowly voted in support of giving unelected youth councillors the ability to vote on council issues alongside other councillors at a committee level.
Their mayor thinks giving youth councillors voting rights will bolster their future opportunities.
Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst told Kerre Woodham this was thought through very carefully.
She says it'll encourage young people into local government, which isn't easy, because people definitely don't do it for the money.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the carry Wood of morning's podcast from
News Talks d B.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Unelected Hastings Youth councilors have been granted the right to vote.
Hasting's district Council has supported a motion by the Youth
Council to give them not only seats on council committees,
but also voting rights and pay. It follows a controversial campaign,
with some saying it undermines the powers of those elected
to the council and that it opens the back door
(00:32):
to unelected people having votes on council. The voting on
he got through with the mayor's casting vote and the Mayor,
Sandra Hazelhurst joins me, now, very good morning to you.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Good morning Carrie.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Godness me because as if you haven't got anything better
to do than be dealing with this at the montment.
It's we've had quite a tumultuous time, haven't you. And
now and now this there was an interesting point made
by a Texter who said, generally, when it comes to
a casting vote, the mayor should vote for the status
quo because a majority should be required for change. Do
(01:08):
you accept that?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
No? I don't, and I've had to make a couple
of casting votes this year and that's the first year
actually in my seven year Tenuere as mayor. You know
so well. How this came about is the Youth Council
approached me with a letter. They sit on our standing committees,
as our subcommittees. They asked to sit on our standing committees.
(01:31):
They work really hard in their role as youth counselors
and they asked if they could have voting rights. What
we saw is I took this to the full council
for them to hear and have good debate, which took
about an hour and a half and it was very
positive debate for and against, and the final decision was mine.
(01:53):
These young people are dynamic, they are positive, they challenge
status quo and they add a huge contribution to the
well being of our district. And this was an opportunity
for us to look at succession to encourage them into
local government for future roles. Not easy to encourage smart
(02:14):
young minds into local government. You don't just certainly do
it for the money. There has been no decision on
whether they get paid, and that was never one of
the aspirations to be paid. It was about them contributing
and not sitting and meetings for three hours and then
not being able to have a vote. We also have
external appointees to standing committees and subcommittees who are experties
(02:36):
and fields around risk and assurance are headed on a
tuckle to normal mori standing committee and they also have
a vote. So this is something under the Local Government
Act that actually a mayor can just appoint externals to
committees without going through this process. But I decided, you know,
under good democracy, that our counsel should debate this matter.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
So no decision has been made on payment, because I
think that was a knile. The people were annoyed about that.
But at the same time, if you are sitting in committees,
and that's the thing that got met because I did
wonder how many people had ever actually been along to
a council meeting who were opposed to this, or who
had voted in council elections. You're all very well and
good to have an opinion, but you've got to have voted,
(03:19):
I think for your opinion to count. But I have
said it true.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
The more purpose too, Carrie. You know that gives them
more feeling that they are listened to and heard and
that they won't be part of full council meetings. These
are these are subcommittees Civic Development, District Development, Social Development,
Strategy and policy and performance and monitoring, so that it's
not full counsel so it's and that they are on
(03:46):
these committees now anyway, So that is the difference. That's
you know, sort of misunderstanding out there and the Environmental
committee work they are really really passionate about and they
you know, this is with all the decisions that we
make intergenerational and you know, look at our debt and
look at what we invest in the future, that debt
(04:07):
is going to impact on their lives and for them
to be able to be aware of that and how
they managed that, it's and you know this, it's actually
not new. In two thousand this council also had the
chair and the deputy Chair of the Youth Council on
these committees and they were paid in the day. The
(04:27):
records have proved one hundred and thirty dollars per meeting. Well,
so that was two thousand. Because the media interests this week,
one of our prepasted youth councils came out she has
worked in government and she said that she remembers getting
paid she found her slip and it was one hundred
and thirty dollars per meeting. So this isn't new, but
(04:50):
the young people didn't know that, and they bought this
proposal to us, and it was a good, vigorous debate.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
I've set through council meetings as a reporter and a
lot of adults that I saw who had been elected
as counselors had no idea what they were doing. So
I don't think age comes into it when it comes
to the ability to be informed. You know, it's whether
you're interested, whether you're engaged in the council process, whether
(05:19):
you are diligent, And I don't know. Certainly, the young
people sound like they are highly motivated.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
They're incredibly highly motivated. And it's what's really interesting to
me is, you know, when we're challenged in so many
areas of our community and our society, when people bring
you solutions to problems, you actually relish that opportunity. And
this is what these young people do. I meet with
them every month, have a cup of tea and my
(05:47):
office and we talk about some of society or big,
big challenges. Our district in some of our suburbs is
fifty percent the population is under twenty five, so we
have got a very young parts of our community. And
these guys bring some of the you know, the big
ways we should be looking at some of these things
(06:08):
and what should we how we should manage and consider
different ways of thinking. And that's you know, I'm just
heartened to think that we've got this future leadership people
who are young people are interested in government, in standing
for you say, you don't do it for the pay,
you know, that's and but you know, to sit alongside
(06:29):
a senior counselor for them. And in my address yesterday
I said, I hope I come back one day and
see them sitting at this table for them to because
they will learn alongside our senior counselors. They will sit alongside,
they'll be mentored and they will wop through. They'll attend
workshops so they learn to how to vote and what
(06:50):
to do. So, you know, this is the civics that
hasn't actually happened in New Zealand, that young people are
being introduced to government and will consider you a future
to look after our country and our local government in
the future.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I think a lot of people are just saying young
people can and do get elected to councils. They can
and do be elected mayor Why couldn't they have stood,
campaigned and been elected.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yes, well they can when they're eighteen, and we haven't
had anybody of that age standing. But you know that
is certainly what this debate has opened up that you
know that they could consider. For us in Hawk's Bay,
the issue is that a lot of our young people
go away because we don't have a university here. We're
probably the biggest region in New Zealand that doesn't have
(07:41):
a university. We have in ste of technology and so
a lot go away. So they will finish year thirteen
and then head to Auckland, Otago or Wellington for studies
or christ Church. So the opportunity for us to retain
them and local government is quite challenging. So this is
another way of being able to get that youth voice
(08:02):
at the table. But you know, I hope that when
they have finished their studies and have their professions, one
of our youth council chairs has come back to town.
Now she's an architect in the city and helping us
with our library projects. So in the future, so you know,
this is a This is the sort of continuation of
(08:23):
actually protecting our population, our generation, and each encouraging people
to stand for local government.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So a lot of Texas As you can imagine, they don't.
They don't sit in full council meetings. It's only in
the subcommittees. Yeah, yes, so it's just a matter where
they can. They can vote in the subcommittees. But ultimately, yes,
the full council, who have been elected by the public
will have their.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Say that's right, that's right. So a lot of the
work is done in the subcommittees and the standing committees.
You know, a lot of the the detail is done
in those committees. Councilors have to be overall at detail,
so do the youth councilors. They do that now, But
all of the big decisions are made in the council
full council.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So there is that kind of safeguard there that people
are concerned about.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yes, I asked that question yesterday. Carrie, one of the
one of the interviews, asked that question to them and said,
you know, how will you know how to vote? And
they said, well, they will do they will sit in
the workships, they'll don't fully understand it, and they if
they don't feel comfortable in voting, then they won't not
a stain. So they have thought through this really clearly, carefully,
(09:40):
and we had six principles of our high schools in
the chamber yesterday. The chamber was full of Oahu of
young people and you know there would have been well
have been Fuller's over one hundred and ten people. But
it was amazing to see the principles out supporting them
and for them to be thinking about leadership for future
and government is was pretty powerful.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
And I imagine that all of these young people are
being educated, turning up at school, most of them would
have outside interest, part time jobs. They're the full deal.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
They are the full deal. And but you know they're
thinking is is you know, particularly in some of these
big matters like climate change. You know, they they will push,
they will challenge us because you know it's really easy
to put that stuff aside, but they're not going to
allow us. So they are looking at the future and
through a different lens than some of our counselors do.
(10:35):
And you know, I just I'm just inspired by them.
They they are they you know, their leadership and at
their age is quite different and it's and they are Yeah,
they're very smart young people. And to see them give
a doing this massive harker the parking Mali yesterday in
(10:58):
the chamber and they're very respectful. They shock everybody's all
elected members hands and it was it was a very
powerful thing. And you know, I think that that, you know,
because it's different, hasn't been seen here, as I said,
from since two thousand and two thousand and so it's
not new for us, but it's new for the moment
(11:20):
and I think this is our future.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Thank you very much for your time. As always, Sandra
Hazelhurst Tastings There for
Speaker 1 (11:27):
More from Kerry Wooden Mornings, listen live to news talks
that'd be from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the carry Wood of morning's podcast from
News Talks d B.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Unelected Hastings Youth councilors have been granted the right to vote.
Hasting's district Council has supported a motion by the Youth
Council to give them not only seats on council committees,
but also voting rights and pay. It follows a controversial campaign,
with some saying it undermines the powers of those elected
to the council and that it opens the back door
(00:32):
to unelected people having votes on council. The voting on
he got through with the mayor's casting vote and the Mayor,
Sandra Hazelhurst joins me, now, very good morning to you.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Good morning Carrie.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Godness me because as if you haven't got anything better
to do than be dealing with this at the montment.
It's we've had quite a tumultuous time, haven't you. And
now and now this there was an interesting point made
by a Texter who said, generally, when it comes to
a casting vote, the mayor should vote for the status
quo because a majority should be required for change. Do
(01:08):
you accept that?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
No? I don't, and I've had to make a couple
of casting votes this year and that's the first year
actually in my seven year Tenuere as mayor. You know
so well. How this came about is the Youth Council
approached me with a letter. They sit on our standing committees,
as our subcommittees. They asked to sit on our standing committees.
(01:31):
They work really hard in their role as youth counselors
and they asked if they could have voting rights. What
we saw is I took this to the full council
for them to hear and have good debate, which took
about an hour and a half and it was very
positive debate for and against, and the final decision was mine.
(01:53):
These young people are dynamic, they are positive, they challenge
status quo and they add a huge contribution to the
well being of our district. And this was an opportunity
for us to look at succession to encourage them into
local government for future roles. Not easy to encourage smart
(02:14):
young minds into local government. You don't just certainly do
it for the money. There has been no decision on
whether they get paid, and that was never one of
the aspirations to be paid. It was about them contributing
and not sitting and meetings for three hours and then
not being able to have a vote. We also have
external appointees to standing committees and subcommittees who are experties
(02:36):
and fields around risk and assurance are headed on a
tuckle to normal mori standing committee and they also have
a vote. So this is something under the Local Government
Act that actually a mayor can just appoint externals to
committees without going through this process. But I decided, you know,
under good democracy, that our counsel should debate this matter.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
So no decision has been made on payment, because I
think that was a knile. The people were annoyed about that.
But at the same time, if you are sitting in committees,
and that's the thing that got met because I did
wonder how many people had ever actually been along to
a council meeting who were opposed to this, or who
had voted in council elections. You're all very well and
good to have an opinion, but you've got to have voted,
(03:19):
I think for your opinion to count. But I have
said it true.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
The more purpose too, Carrie. You know that gives them
more feeling that they are listened to and heard and
that they won't be part of full council meetings. These
are these are subcommittees Civic Development, District Development, Social Development,
Strategy and policy and performance and monitoring, so that it's
not full counsel so it's and that they are on
(03:46):
these committees now anyway, So that is the difference. That's
you know, sort of misunderstanding out there and the Environmental
committee work they are really really passionate about and they
you know, this is with all the decisions that we
make intergenerational and you know, look at our debt and
look at what we invest in the future, that debt
(04:07):
is going to impact on their lives and for them
to be able to be aware of that and how
they managed that, it's and you know this, it's actually
not new. In two thousand this council also had the
chair and the deputy Chair of the Youth Council on
these committees and they were paid in the day. The
(04:27):
records have proved one hundred and thirty dollars per meeting. Well,
so that was two thousand. Because the media interests this week,
one of our prepasted youth councils came out she has
worked in government and she said that she remembers getting
paid she found her slip and it was one hundred
and thirty dollars per meeting. So this isn't new, but
(04:50):
the young people didn't know that, and they bought this
proposal to us, and it was a good, vigorous debate.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
I've set through council meetings as a reporter and a
lot of adults that I saw who had been elected
as counselors had no idea what they were doing. So
I don't think age comes into it when it comes
to the ability to be informed. You know, it's whether
you're interested, whether you're engaged in the council process, whether
(05:19):
you are diligent, And I don't know. Certainly, the young
people sound like they are highly motivated.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
They're incredibly highly motivated. And it's what's really interesting to
me is, you know, when we're challenged in so many
areas of our community and our society, when people bring
you solutions to problems, you actually relish that opportunity. And
this is what these young people do. I meet with
them every month, have a cup of tea and my
(05:47):
office and we talk about some of society or big,
big challenges. Our district in some of our suburbs is
fifty percent the population is under twenty five, so we
have got a very young parts of our community. And
these guys bring some of the you know, the big
ways we should be looking at some of these things
(06:08):
and what should we how we should manage and consider
different ways of thinking. And that's you know, I'm just
heartened to think that we've got this future leadership people
who are young people are interested in government, in standing
for you say, you don't do it for the pay,
you know, that's and but you know, to sit alongside
(06:29):
a senior counselor for them. And in my address yesterday
I said, I hope I come back one day and
see them sitting at this table for them to because
they will learn alongside our senior counselors. They will sit alongside,
they'll be mentored and they will wop through. They'll attend
workshops so they learn to how to vote and what
(06:50):
to do. So, you know, this is the civics that
hasn't actually happened in New Zealand, that young people are
being introduced to government and will consider you a future
to look after our country and our local government in
the future.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I think a lot of people are just saying young
people can and do get elected to councils. They can
and do be elected mayor Why couldn't they have stood,
campaigned and been elected.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yes, well they can when they're eighteen, and we haven't
had anybody of that age standing. But you know that
is certainly what this debate has opened up that you
know that they could consider. For us in Hawk's Bay,
the issue is that a lot of our young people
go away because we don't have a university here. We're
probably the biggest region in New Zealand that doesn't have
(07:41):
a university. We have in ste of technology and so
a lot go away. So they will finish year thirteen
and then head to Auckland, Otago or Wellington for studies
or christ Church. So the opportunity for us to retain
them and local government is quite challenging. So this is
another way of being able to get that youth voice
(08:02):
at the table. But you know, I hope that when
they have finished their studies and have their professions, one
of our youth council chairs has come back to town.
Now she's an architect in the city and helping us
with our library projects. So in the future, so you know,
this is a This is the sort of continuation of
(08:23):
actually protecting our population, our generation, and each encouraging people
to stand for local government.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
So a lot of Texas As you can imagine, they don't.
They don't sit in full council meetings. It's only in
the subcommittees. Yeah, yes, so it's just a matter where
they can. They can vote in the subcommittees. But ultimately, yes,
the full council, who have been elected by the public
will have their.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Say that's right, that's right. So a lot of the
work is done in the subcommittees and the standing committees.
You know, a lot of the the detail is done
in those committees. Councilors have to be overall at detail,
so do the youth councilors. They do that now, But
all of the big decisions are made in the council
full council.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So there is that kind of safeguard there that people
are concerned about.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yes, I asked that question yesterday. Carrie, one of the
one of the interviews, asked that question to them and said,
you know, how will you know how to vote? And
they said, well, they will do they will sit in
the workships, they'll don't fully understand it, and they if
they don't feel comfortable in voting, then they won't not
a stain. So they have thought through this really clearly, carefully,
(09:40):
and we had six principles of our high schools in
the chamber yesterday. The chamber was full of Oahu of
young people and you know there would have been well
have been Fuller's over one hundred and ten people. But
it was amazing to see the principles out supporting them
and for them to be thinking about leadership for future
and government is was pretty powerful.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
And I imagine that all of these young people are
being educated, turning up at school, most of them would
have outside interest, part time jobs. They're the full deal.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
They are the full deal. And but you know they're
thinking is is you know, particularly in some of these
big matters like climate change. You know, they they will push,
they will challenge us because you know it's really easy
to put that stuff aside, but they're not going to
allow us. So they are looking at the future and
through a different lens than some of our counselors do.
(10:35):
And you know, I just I'm just inspired by them.
They they are they you know, their leadership and at
their age is quite different and it's and they are Yeah,
they're very smart young people. And to see them give
a doing this massive harker the parking Mali yesterday in
(10:58):
the chamber and they're very respectful. They shock everybody's all
elected members hands and it was it was a very
powerful thing. And you know, I think that that, you know,
because it's different, hasn't been seen here, as I said,
from since two thousand and two thousand and so it's
not new for us, but it's new for the moment
(11:20):
and I think this is our future.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Thank you very much for your time. As always, Sandra
Hazelhurst Tastings There for
Speaker 1 (11:27):
More from Kerry Wooden Mornings, listen live to news talks
that'd be from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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