A 20-year-old student on Wednesday became the first outside person in five years to sit in on Parliament's question time.
By Christina Huang
Danica Loulié-Wijtenburg's appointment marks the first time Youth Parliament will have a Youth Clerk of the House since its formation in 1994.
"It was an incredible experience to spend the day at Parliament getting some really valuable insight into the processes and people who make it possible," Loulié-Wijtenburg told 1News.
The last person who was not an MP or an Officer of the House to sit in on question time was the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly in Cook Islands, Tangata Vainerere, in 2019.
Typically, the Clerk of the House - currently David Martin Wilson - provides procedural advice to the Speaker and MPs.
As the 2022 Youth Clerk, Loulié-Wijtenburg will oversee Youth MPs as they debate the fictional Minimum Wage (Starting-Out Wage Abolition) Amendment Bill. It would remove the ability for employers to pay lower starting-out and training wages to youth, which fall well below the current living wage of $22.75.
Although the bill is not real, mock bills debated in Youth Parliament can influence Government decision-making by indicating what issues are of interest to young people.
Loulié-Wijtenburg hopes her role as the Youth Clerk will encourage Youth MPs to effect meaningful change by helping them understand the process.
"One key thing we see with young people is we are really passionate about issues in the world, and we want to take action. We often just don't have the understanding of the systems to be able to work within them."
The University of Auckland third-year hopes first-hand experience of the Parliamentary process will assist her studies.
"There's a lot to be excited about, particularly for understanding how procedures of Parliament can help enhance diversity and inclusive practices."
Outside of her studies, Loulié-Wijtenburg works with the Howick Youth Council, Auckland Youth Voice Incorporated and InsideOUT, a charity supporting rainbow youth in schools.
Community work has been a "long-term passion… all about getting rangatahi engaged in their communities and taking action on issues they care about".
Loulié-Wijtenburg's advice to Youth MPs is to make the most of their time in Youth Parliament.
"It's pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, really get involved," she said.
The 10th Youth Parliament event will take place on July 19-20.
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