Ian McLean Green candidate for Tauranga

If you care about early childhood issues, you need to come to the free Children's Forum; ‘Kiwi Kids are our Future' at Otumoetai Primary School Hall, 7pm on Tuesday, August 23.

At the youth forum last Friday evening, youthful Green MP Gareth Hughes did a fantastic job of explaining the importance of MMP for young people, why reintroducing youth rates would only make living less affordable for young workers and how Tauranga could benefit from establishing a youth council.

Here are some quotes skimmed from young people at the forum:
'There is nowhere to hang out that is free.”
'I spend up to three hours per day getting to and from campus by bus. That is too long.”

'I want a job, but the employers demand experience.”
'We need more support and more inclusive events for young people with disabilities.”

These comments depict simmering frustration. Is this the same malaise that we have seen explode on our television screens in images from the UK, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere in the last few weeks?

Trivial in comparison? Actually, I don't think so. The expression and consequence are different, but the frustration runs just as deeply here as elsewhere.

Young people seem to feel the cost of living more extremely than most and are certainly quick to express their frustration at the rising costs of 'everything” in relation to the stagnant income base from which they operate.

A young Afghan in Kabul once said to me – using colourful language that reflected an excellent grasp of English – 'the system here is .….d and I need to get out of this place”.

There is nothing new or culturally constrained about young people feeling frustrated and restricted by limited financial resources, moral structures or oppressive political systems. We would be surprised if they were not.

And yet, it is the political system that determines access to education, funding options and outcomes, the link between a stable economy and jobs and the trade-off between spending on social issues or infrastructure.

My young Afghan friend also asked: 'When did you have your last war?” The look of total disbelief at the answer – 'Well, we have only had one and it was around 140 years ago” – was inspiring.

A stable political system is a taonga to be cherished, protected and nurtured. Those outcomes are achieved through understanding and – most importantly of all – involvement.

For more information visit www.taurangayouth.webs.com and http://kidsfuture.webs.com