new plymouth

Candidates canvas students  

Question Time in New Plymouth

In New Plymouth District, four schools took part in this year's Kids Voting during October 2007. As part of the preparations, a ‘meet the candidates' afternoon was organised so students could  hear from 19 candidates who stood for the Mayoralty, City and South-West wards.

Over 250 students from Spotswood College, Sacred Heart Girls' College, Te Pihipihinga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea Kura Kaupapa Maori and Coastal Taranaki School attended the event which was widely hailed as a huge success!

Mayor Peter Tennent thanked teachers and the students for taking part in Kids Voting. "Democracy is so very valuable, and I'm thrilled that so many of our students got involved in this project!"

NPDC Manager Community Development Bry Kopu said she hoped the students had been inspired by the Kids Voting project.

"We'd like to see them take part in local bodies' elections when they are eligible to be on the electoral role, but we'd also like them to take an active role in local government now," she says.

"Hopefully with the success of the ‘meet the candidates' afternoon, these students will feel more confident about contacting their councillors to discuss issues that are important to them, and also getting involved in council projects and meetings."