Simon Bridges National Party Leader simonbridges.co.nz

Last week I announced Ben Sokimi, from Aquinas College, as the young leader who will represent the Tauranga electorate at Youth Parliament 2019.

Ben is a confident, positive young man with a real grasp of New Zealand politics and a keen mind for what challenges lie ahead for us as a country.

I was so impressed by the high calibre of applicants, and it was hard to choose between them, but Ben possessed that little bit extra that saw him edge out his competitors.

In July next year, 120 Youth MPs from across the country will converge on Parliament. It is an intense two days, where they will sit on select committees, ask oral question and debate legislation.

Leading up to this, Ben will be actively engaging with the community, to gain an understanding of the ideas and concerns of young people in our area.

Youth Parliament is an opportunity for these talented young New Zealanders to learn how the decision making process works. It also gives them the opportunity to have their voices heard in Parliament.

It is an excellent training ground for these young aspiring MPs. They get to walk in our shoes and it gives us an idea of who our future leaders may be.

I wish Ben every success and I look forward to working with him.