Date 25/07/2013
For IMMEDIATE USE
Youth MPs Walk Out During Fellow Youth MP’s Gay Marriage Speech.
By Winona D’Costa
Going into youth parliament not a single Youth MP could have predicted that there would be a walk-out during a fellow
Youth MP’s speech.
Speaking on the recent passing of the Definition of Marriage Amendment Bill , Kura Waller Youth MP for Te Ururoa Flavell
chose to take a stand against the bill.
In protest the majority of the Youth MPs walked out during Kura’s speech. This goes to show that Youth MPs really did
receive the whole experience of being a real MP walk-out included. Like any regular politician she bravely carried on
voicing her opinion despite staring at a now almost empty debating chamber.
Banter between the Labour/Greens and National Youth MPs made its presence felt when Yanni Cowie representing Denis
O’Rourke said “it is New Zealand's young people who are the ones who are going to have to foot the bill for the current
National-lead government's reckless agenda to sell off state-owned assets.”
Cheers and applause resounded from the Labour/Green Youth MPs as Yanni continued to nitpick National’s policy of Asset
Sales:
“It makes the government books look good in the short term and does not overly affect anyone making the decision. But
wait until those who are currently the younger generation join the workforce. Wait until they are running the country.
Then we will be confronted by the stark reality.”
Thomas Rees also received a reaction from the other youth MPs on his general debate topic re-implementing the Death
Penalty. The Youth MP for Paul Foster-Bell addressed the other Youth MPs saying “I think deep down everyone wants the
death penalty. But it is the flawed counter arguments, which seem to dissuade many.”
Some laughs then followed when Thomas continued “when you are sitting on the jury, you are almost certainly going to
take a trial much more seriously as once you execute someone there is no turning back.”
Cheers, a walk out and some laughs is what ensued when youth took over the debating chamber.
ENDS