Politicians hoping to lead Aotearoa after the November election are about to face some of their toughest questions yet, and this time it will be rangatahi with firsthand experience of the state care system demanding answers.
Youth advocacy organisation VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai is bringing together representatives from New Zealand’s major political parties for a special pre-election debate, with questions developed and delivered entirely by young people who have experienced care.
The online political panel will take place on Monday, October 19, giving rangatahi the opportunity to challenge politicians directly about the policies, decisions and commitments that affect their lives.
With the general election scheduled for November 7, the event aims to move beyond campaign slogans and put the voices of young people at the centre of the political conversation.
Young People Asking the Tough Questions
Unlike traditional political debates, where journalists and broadcasters question party representatives, this event places care-experienced rangatahi firmly in charge.
The discussion will focus on some of the most significant challenges facing children and young people involved in the state care system.
Key issues include:
- Safety and wellbeing for tamariki in care.
- Youth justice and the treatment of young offenders.
- Access to mental health services and support.
- Education, training and employment opportunities.
- Support for young people transitioning out of care into independent living.
- Maintaining meaningful relationships with whānau and communities.
The panel will also examine how political parties intend to deliver on VOYCE’s 6 Promises, a framework developed alongside care-experienced young people to establish the standards of care and support every child should expect.
Seven Political Parties Invited to Face Rangatahi
The event will feature representatives from across the political spectrum.
Confirmed participants include ACT’s Karen Chhour, Labour’s Willow-Jean Prime, National’s Dana Kirkpatrick, the Green Party’s Kahurangi Carter, New Zealand First’s Kym McDonald and The Opportunities Party’s Jessica Hammond.
A representative from Te Pāti Māori is yet to be confirmed.
The range of participants provides an opportunity for young people to compare political commitments and question how different parties would approach reform of the care and youth justice systems.
Decisions About Rangatahi Must Include Rangatahi
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai Chief Executive Tracie Shipton says young people with experience of care are too often excluded from political conversations about the systems that shape their lives.
The organisation believes politicians must be prepared to listen directly to rangatahi rather than relying solely on officials, agencies and other adults to speak on their behalf.
Shipton says the willingness of political representatives to participate is encouraging, but the young people involved will be seeking meaningful answers and clear commitments.
The event has been designed by and for care-experienced rangatahi, with questions reflecting their lived experiences, priorities and aspirations.
VOYCE says the young people involved understand what is working within the care system, where it is failing and what changes are urgently required.
Māori Tamariki and Whakapapa Connections in Focus
The debate also raises important questions about the experiences of Māori tamariki and rangatahi in state care.
For Māori, wellbeing is closely connected to whakapapa, whānau, identity, language and cultural belonging.
Decisions about placements, safety, family contact and transitions from care can have lasting consequences for those relationships.
The VOYCE framework recognises the importance of young people maintaining meaningful connections with their whānau and receiving support that respects their identities and circumstances.
For political parties, the debate provides an opportunity to explain how they would ensure the care system protects tamariki while strengthening their connections to whānau, hapū, iwi and communities.
The discussion is also expected to address the practical support available to rangatahi as they move towards adulthood, particularly those who leave care without the financial resources or family networks other young people may rely on.
Six Promises and Political Accountability
Central to the event will be VOYCE’s 6 Promises, which outline expectations for the treatment and support of children and young people in care.
These include being listened to, feeling safe, maintaining important relationships and receiving the support needed to thrive.
The organisation wants political parties to demonstrate how their policies would translate those principles into real improvements.
That means addressing not only the immediate safety of children in care, but also their educational opportunities, mental health, long-term wellbeing and ability to build independent futures.
The panel also comes amid wider scrutiny of Aotearoa’s care system, including the need to implement lessons and recommendations arising from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
Election 2026: A Chance to Be Heard
With many young voters still deciding which party to support, VOYCE believes the debate offers a valuable opportunity to examine political promises through the experiences of those most directly affected.
The organisation is encouraging caregivers, whānau, professionals, community advocates and the wider public to watch the discussion.
The event is one of the few election debates in Aotearoa where politicians will be questioned exclusively by care-experienced young people.
Rather than allowing the conversation to be dominated by political talking points, the format gives rangatahi the opportunity to set the agenda themselves.
How to Watch
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai Pre-Election Political Panel
Date: Monday, 19 October 2026
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm
Where: Livestreamed on the VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai Facebook page.
Event link: https://facebook.com/events/s/voyce-political-hotseat-electi/3620138994806390/
For the rangatahi taking part, the message is clear: decisions about their lives, their safety and their futures should never be made without their voices being heard.
And with the election just weeks away, politicians will have an opportunity to demonstrate whether they are prepared not only to listen, but to act.
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