‘Youth councillor’ mooted

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 1

‘Youth councillor’ mooted

By

MICHAEL RENTOUL

A “youth councillor” at the table of the new Christchurch City Council has been proposed by the Christchurch Action Team.

The “twenty-fifth councillor,” under age 18, would sit in on council meetings, have speaking rights and be able to bring forward youth-oriented policy for council consideration. But the youth councillor would not have voting rights. ■ The Christchurch Action Team’s mayoral candidate, Mrs Margaret Murray, said young people had expressed a desire to be better informed on the way the city was run and how to

measure the council’s performances.

The position could enable better understanding of local body politics and politics generally, she said.

Mrs Murray said the Christchurch Secondary Schools Youth Council, which could elect or select youth councillors, would have to be expanded under the policy. All Christchurch secondary schools would be encouraged to have at least one representative on the youth council. Each youth councillor would serve a three-month term and receive a meeting-attendance allowance of $lO an hour.