YOUNGEST MP TO TRAVEL TO CANADA TO ACCEPT POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD – Māori Party

Aotearoa’s Youngest Member of Parliament, and Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, will travel to Montreal to accept the One Young World Politician of the Year Award next week.

The One Young World Politician of the Year Award was created in 2018 to recognise the most promising young politicians between the ages of 18 and 35 from around the world.

The winners are selected by a panel of expert judges, including First Woman President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, based on their impact in their home countries and how they have used their position to benefit young people specifically.

The programme includes an acceptance ceremony and five days of engagements at the One Young World Summit in Montreal Canada. Hana-Rawhiti will then travel to New York and participate in the hybrid AFS Intercultural empowering youth to lead the world, run in parallel with the United Nations Summit of the Future.

“I am very humbled to be selected as one of four recipients of the One Young World, Politician of the Year Award for 2024 and want to acknowledge last year’s recipient, Far North Mayor, Moko Te Pania.

“For me, this is about holding space for future wahine Māori, and Māori rangatahi and hopefully inspiring them to use their Māori magic and aspire to achieve.

“Only 2% of politicians are under the age of 30. We risk losing a whole generation, particularly with this government who is consistently attacking our being, from engaging in politics,” said Maipi-Clarke.

Hana-Rawhiti will travel alongside a rangatahi roopu composed of future Māori leaders.