As Aotearoa New Zealand heads to the polls on 14 October 2023, Save the Children is working to raise the voices of children and young people – and to ensure children are a priority for Election 2023.
"They may be years off casting their first official vote, but listening to children helps to inform us as adult voters, on issues that are important to children and young people.” - Jacqui Southey, Advocacy and Research Director, Save the Children New Zealand.
We’re raising children’s voices this Election 2023!
The views and opinions of children and young people matter – and ensuring those voices are heard is a fundamental right. They may not yet have a vote, but the decisions made today will impact their lives today and into the future. As we navigate major global challenges now and in years to come, we need to consider children’s views and ensure political decision makers are acting in the best interests of children.
We’re ensuring children and young people are heard in a number of ways. Our children’s elections are being held in schools and markets across the country, while our resident Kiwi superhero kid Super Millie is also working with us to help gather as many children’s voices as we can this Election year. Our Generation Hope NZ youth ambassadors are also working with us to help raise the vital voices of rangatahi through events and activities such as debates, our policy hackathon, and youth survey.
We’ll be sharing children’s views with politicians and decision makers leading up to Election 2023 – and beyond!
We’re committed to speaking up for children and their rights
Alongside children and young people, we're calling on all political parties to commit to implementing policies that uphold the rights of tamariki and support their wellbeing. Positive policies for children have important flow-on effects for whānau, communities, and Aotearoa New Zealand as a nation. When our children do well, we all do well.
Our five asks for children this Election 2023
The issues for tamariki, young people and their whānau are numerous and have serious impacts on their lives. Many are issues children themselves have told us about – such as the need for affordable and healthy homes or greater food security – while others, such as a lack of income adequacy particularly for specific groups of children, are systemic and wide-reaching.
By listening to and responding to the voices of children and young people and in recognition of the challenges facing children in Aotearoa, we’ve developed five key asks to all political parties that directly uphold children’s rights and support their wellbeing now and in the future.
Click on the link if you’d like to read more details about these key asks!
1. Climate Action Now for Sustainable Future
2. An Affordable and Healthy Home for Every Child
3. Lift the rate of the Child Disability Allowance
4. Continued and sustained funding for Ka Ora Ka Ako – Healthy School Lunches Programme
5. Access to quality and affordable early childhood education for all children up to 6 years of age.
Get involved!
It’s not too late for the tamariki in your life to have their say! Watch this video for inspiration about why tamariki should have be heard and write an email to Super Millie! Or, if you’re a school wanting to enrol in our children’s elections, register here.
What the parties are promising for children
Tick for Kids, a collaboration of civil society organisations and individuals deeply concerned about the wellbeing of our children in Aotearoa New Zealand, asked seven of the country’s political parties to take part in a survey, asking for commitments to support child-focused policy solutions across eight key areas: care and protection, climate, education, health and wellbeing, housing, inclusion, incomes and youth justice.
The results - which can help guide your vote for children - can be found below. Note: Tick For Kids did not receive a response from New Zealand First.
