There are more than 30 candidates under the age of 30 standing in this year’s election. Voter turnout statistics for the 2017 general election for people under 30 hover below 70 per cent. But, young people are making their mark in their own way, from the School Strike 4 Climate marches to the Make it 16 campaigners arguing to lower the voting age in the High Court.
1 NEWS talks to the youngest candidates running for National, Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First and ACT to find out what makes them tick and why they’re running for Parliament.
Abigail Johnson, ACT’s candidate for Christchurch Central, says she can’t remember a time she wasn’t at least somewhat interested in politics.
“Neither of my parents are particularly political, and I don’t think my school really fostered it. I'm not really sure. It's just something I've kind of had,” the 18-year-old said.
Johnson has lived in Christchurch for most of her life after moving to the city as an infant from the UK. She first got involved with ACT in the 2017 election because she felt the party matched her values.
Issues like the situation in the Canterbury DHB are on the minds of voters in her electorate, Johnson said.
She’s also passionate about mental health and ACT’s promise to change the mental health system , if they end up in Government.
“Growing up in Canterbury, with the CDHB and all that, and seeing a lot of my friends go through that public system, I really would like to see it move forward to put patients back at the centre to allow for more choice and providers.”
When Johnson isn’t campaigning, she’s busy completing an economics and finance degree at the University of Canterbury.
“I think most young people at this age are balancing uni and part-time work. You make it work.”
Despite having to juggle study and campaigning, being a young candidate had its perks, Johnson said.
“I think I'm able to connect with people at uni in a way which a lot of other candidates maybe can’t.
“As we know, they're our most disenfranchised voters.”
Creating policy which “genuinely appealed” to young voters, civics education in school and having more young candidates stand in elections were some of the ways to increase youth participation in politics, Johnson said.
She said she wanted to stand because it was “a pretty important election year with Covid and the debt which is being taken on is something our generation has to pay back”.
But, Johnson said she doesn’t have plans to become an MP, focusing instead on increasing ACT’s party vote share.
“Parliament's not really appealing to me.
"I think I'd rather be behind the scenes, and there are other career paths I want to take.”
*Abigail Johnson is the second-youngest candidate running for ACT, and is two weeks older than Waimakariri candidate James Davies. Davies has not responded to emails from 1 NEWS requesting an interview.
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