I tēnei wiki, i tū te huinga ‘Unfiltered Rangatahi’ ki te Whare Tapere o Sir Howard Morrison i Rotorua, he wāhi i whakahuihui ai ngā kaitono o te rohe pōti o Waiariki me ngā kaipōti rangatahi mō te wā tuatahi. Ko te kaupapa nui o te rā, ko te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero mō ngā take e pā ana ki ngā rangatahi me te hiranga o te pōti hei te marama o Noema.
I te paepae kōrero, i whakanuia e te Mema Pāremata o Waiariki, a Rawiri Waititi, te kaha o ngā kaitono i reira. I a ia e kōrero ana mō ōna hoa whakataetae, i mea a Rawiri, “Ko Toni Boynton tērā, ko Tania Waikato tērā, me te mea hoki he tuahine anō hoki ki au. Ko te mea pai o ngā tūru Māori i kupu pēra kei te whakaaro ka haere pēra i te ara whanaunga. Waimarie a Waiariki i tēnei tau i te mea kei reirā ngā kaiwhiriwhiri kaha ki te whawhai.”
I tautoko hoki a Tania Waikato o te Pāti Kākāriki i taua whakaaro, me te whakanui i te wairua whanaungatanga i waenganui i ngā kaitono ahakoa te whakataetae. I kī a Tania, “He whakataetae tēnei, nē?. Ko tēnei te ao tōrangapū ehara i te ao Māori. Engari ko te mea nui kia mātou te tokotoru nei he whanaunga anō. Kia ahau nei ko te mea nui i waenganui i a mātou i roto i tēnei haerenga kotahi me āta kōrero, me āta whakaaro i te mea pai ake mo te iwi Māori.”
Building political foundations for our future
Labour candidate Toni Boynton highlighted the importance of visibility and representation during the symposium, noting how crucial it is for young voters to see themselves reflected in political leadership.
Reflecting on the impact of the candidates’ presence, Boynton said, “It’s instant for our rangatahi. If they can see someone who looks like them. Who they know things like them that holds the same value as how they see the world then just by seeing that person, then they’ll go ‘oh well, aunty is in there. I’ll be in there one day.”
The event marked a significant turning point for the Waiariki electorate, as candidates continue to engage directly with the youth who will shape the political future of the region.