Refreshing alternatives from Gen Y

24 September 2010

Media coverage of this year’s Auckland local government elections has so far focused on well-funded candidates who have, by their own rhetoric, been there and done that: invariably south of the bridge.

What exactly those deeds may have been and their relative merits has been the subject of repetitive debate and stale messages. Recycling is back in style but voters appear to be reaching, once again, for the off switch rather than the ballot papers.

We’ve had the we generation, the me generation and, now, the re generation. It’s retro - but not always in a good way.

Two of the younger local board candidates in this year’s elections typify the refreshing future face of Auckland.

With a combined age of 42 years, Richard Hills, 24, and Joseph Bergin, 18, haven’t a grey hair between them. They do, however, offer an optimistic outlook without the baggage.

They also represent the present and future of the Shore Voice ticket, a newcomer on the electoral scene which blends experience and fresh blood. This politically non-aligned group promises North Shore voters “a voice north of the bridge”.

Both born and bred on the Shore, Richard of Glenfield and Joseph of Milford have no family history of political involvement and share a common desire to make an impact in local government before seeking higher office in Parliament.

One of the prefects at Glenfield College in his thirteenth and final year, Richard achieved NCEA at all levels before graduating from AUT University with a Bachelor of Communications Studies. In true Kiwi tradition, Richard completed his OE and travelled throughout Britain, Western Europe and North America.

Richard has worked on the Shore for 10 years and, every year, volunteers his support to Auckland Sexual Health’s Education Unit.

“We train young people to be peer support leaders within their schools. We encourage them to make positive choices for themselves and their communities,” he says.

Joseph, or Joe to his mates, is currently Deputy Head Boy at Rosmini College in Takapuna. This Year 13 student is looking ahead to university where he plans to take a conjoint law and arts degree, majoring in psychology and criminology. His long-term ambitions include serving as New Zealand’s Attorney-General before becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Earlier this month he received a North Shore City Civic Award at a formal ceremony in Takapuna. One of the last such awards to be presented, the citation recognised the young man’s long service on the Shore Youth Council during which he “contributed significantly to a wide range of projects including investigating several options for recycling and supporting sustainable practices”.

What they lack in years, both men more than make up for in a pride of their home communities, protection of the Shore’s environmental values and optimism for its contribution to helping sustain regional and national economies.

It is testimony to the Shore Voice ethos that both Joe and Richard have been mentored and supported by experienced politicians from either side of a traditional left-right divide.

With the future more important than the past, investment in new blood might be just the balance the new political environment needs if it is to succeed.

ENDS

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