Cult-Like Youth Wings In Vogue
If you’re the observant type, you would have probably noticed most of our Parliamentary parties have a “youth wing” with some sort of presence on campus.
Their calling card is the single coloured t-shirt which features a party motto or logo brandished across the chest. Ranging from the “I’M A KEY PERSON” Young Nats to Young Labour’s “The Goff Father”, it’s surprising that these fine examples of New Zealand fashion didn’t make it to the “disaster” that was Wellington Fashion week (quote marks mean that someone else said it, not me).
Lately, they’ve been generating themselves a bit of publicity through a joint effort to “Keep It 18”; ACT on Campus even got their own story on 3News after they announced they would not campaign for any candidate who won’t “Keep It 18”. Greens, ACT, Labour and National are all united over a joint effort to protect your right to purchase alcohol from an off- licence.
But who are these people who join the Youth Wings, and what do they even achieve? I did some Facebook stalking and came across some photos; In one are the Young Nats and, in the other, Young Labour. Both appear to be failed X-Factor contestants, due to an inadequate number of members. The Young Nats were one short of being a boy band, whilst Young Labour needed another to be New Zealand’s answer to SClub-7.
Despite all their hard work on the campaign, getting out and sign waving, door knocking, pamphlet dropping and spending long hours doing the tasks no one else would do, they appear to get nothing in terms of substantial policy in return–particularly those who are part of the Young Nats and ACT on Campus.
Every time John Banks was filmed campaigning in Epsom, he was accompanied by an ACT on Campus phalanx of “killer bees”. Yet despite the hard work they put in for him during the campaign, there’s the potential he will take away their right to buy a drink.
Likewise, it appears that the Young Nats will have their hard work unrewarded. They travelled around the North Island on a bus for a week, which one member described to me as being “disgusting” and “filthy” after only a few days. They would get out at every stop and clap John Key getting on and off the bus (see this video for example http://bit.ly/Kd4YPV–it makes Key look good for the cameras).
I recall talking to one Young Nat in early December after the election. He informed be that Key was grateful fortheir work and that they would have some “klout” in pushing through policy they wanted. He went on to specifically cite gay marriage as a policy they would push for, due to its support from other youth wings.
Yet despite this apparent “klout”, we’re having a vote on raising the drinking age and there is “no clamour” for gay marriage in New Zealand. As one member of Young Labour told me, the Government is increasingly passing, or atleast proposing, policy which makes New Zealand a less attractive place for young people to stay and work in.
Personally, I struggle to see what youth wings achieve. Although, to be fair, a new $62 million mental health policy, mainly aimed at 12–17 year olds, was developed following calls by the Young Nats.
Beyond that though, it seems to be that the youth wings are simply glorified political party fan clubs populated by people who want to be politicians. People who want to actually achieve things operate outside the youth wing structure.
James Sleep is New Zealand’s most successful young political activist, regularly in the media. Yet he’s not part of Young Labour.
Probably because he wants to do more than just be a fan-boy.