Youth MP William Bell-Purchas says inequalities in education and health, access to mental health services, and the cost of tertiary education are all top of mind for the young people in his Mount Albert electorate.
Bell-Purchas is one of 120 Youth MPs participating in Youth Parliament 2022; an event held every parliamentary term to encourage young people to engage with democracy.
As the 2022 Youth MP for Mount Albert, he has gained plenty of guidance from the young people of his electorate, as well as the ear of the MP for Mount Albert and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, when it comes to issues affecting the young people of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Every Youth MP has a matching MP. For William Bell-Purchas that's the Prime Minister and Mount Albert MP Jacinda Ardern Photo: supplied
Bell-Purchas said he and the prime minister spent time discussing issues such as his experience of Covid-19, being in tertiary education, public transport investments, youth parliament and other issues that matter to young people in Aotearoa.
He is balancing action in his home electorate with his first year of study at Victoria University in Wellington, and is running workshops with young people in Mount Albert to canvas their views on issues that matter, and encourage them to think about politics and voting.
He said he sees inequality as the underlying, widespread and systemic cause of many issues: “It’s visible everywhere from education, to health and mental health systems.”
“The reality is, in New Zealand, the circumstances people are born into have a huge impact on quality of life and this affects New Zealanders at every stage of life, but especially young people,” Bell-Purchas said.
“More than ever, young people in New Zealand are facing challenges with their mental health and I think it’s really crucial that the government takes action in making mental health services more effective and more affordable.”
Bell-Purchas has first hand experience of Aotearoa’s mental health services and he said there is room for improvement. While he came out the other side with strategies that he still applies, he said he is aware that for many others it’s harder to access mental health treatment and support.
Youth MP William Bell-Purchas at a workshop he ran in April 2022 with the 'Raise Up' group in Mount Albert to discuss issues. Photo: supplied
Bell-Purchas is also keen to encourage young people to take an interest in politics and to vote.
“The statistic is only about two thirds of 18 to 24 year olds are enrolled to vote, and I think it’s really important that more young people understand our political system and the importance of voting.”
He’s excited to talk about the issues he’s passionate about with others at the Youth Parliament 2022 event in Wellington on 19 and 20 July.
“Amazing things come out of having lots of minds in one place having constructive conversation. I’m really excited to hear other people’s ideas, and I’m excited to work together to work towards constructive solutions for issues that affect young people.”
*Jessie Davidson is a member of the Youth Press Gallery which takes the role of independent media reporting on youth MPs and Youth Parliament 2022. This article can be republished freely on your platform subject to the following conditions:
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- It must include the following attribution to RNZ as the copyright owner: This story was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission.
