Team to set up Dyouth office

Press, 9 March 1988, Page 7

Team to set up Dyouth office

PA Wellington The Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr Goff, yesterday announced the first steps in the establishment of a permanent Office of Youth Affairs. A four-person team would work with him to set out the objectives, functions and structure of the Youth Affairs portfolio, he said in a statement. i The team would consult a wide cross-section of groups and young people before reporting back to 'the Government by the end of the year.

Initial public submissions showed widespread support for a Youth Affairs portfolio- but there were diverse- views on iwhat it should do and jhow, Mr Goff said. ; "The process of consultation in establishing th| portfolio is an import-

ant signal of how the portfolio itself | should work.' i

“A big objective must be to encourage young people to participate in and contribute to the deci-sion-making process,” he said. |

It was I important that the portfolio should not become a sprawling bureaucracy competing with other departments to provide services to youth.

It be “a compact, | high-calibre policy development body’’ staffed ; by enthusiastic people.

It would work with other departments, which by and large would retain the responsibility for delivery of services. “The i broad objectives of the portfolio are to encourage young people to achieve their, full potential.