The TVNZ Young Voters' debate run by Re:News was a rowdy interjection into what had been a relatively subdued election campaign. Its moderator has some ideas on how media organisations can better cater to young people.
Undecided voters might decide the outcome of the election and the media and political strategists are now zeroing in on them. There's also support among under-enrolled young people up for grabs, but who's trying to engage them at election time?
The TVNZ Young Voters' debate was a rowdy interjection into what had been a relatively subdued election campaign.
It was punctuated by fiery exchanges, including one in which Green MP Chloe Swarbrick took NZ First's Lee Donoghue to task over his party's proposed ban on students using the bathroom associated with their preferred gender.
"The rhetoric and the fear-mongering behind the likes of what you and your party are putting forward are harming people in our communities because it is not evidence-based and ultimately I think there is a responsibility for political leaders to turn down the temperature on this," she said.
"We need to be able to agree to disagree," interjected Act's Brooke van Velden.
"I'm not going to deny people's existence," retorted Swarbrick.
These confrontations were also interspersed with illuminating policy debates on issues from the cost of living crisis to rainbow rights.
In one section about climate change, Donoghue confessed to having been struck by lightning at an Iron Maiden concert. He has that experience in common with National MP Maureen Pugh and Labour health minister Ayesha Verrall, both of whom say they've been struck by lightning.
The eye-opening discussions and sharply opposing points of view stood in stark contrast to the first TVNZ leaders debate between Chris Hipkins and Chris Luxon last week, where the two leaders delivered notably similar answers to quickfire questions on issues including a wealth tax (they don't want one), drug decriminalisation (they don't want it), and how old they were when they bought their first home (both were 24).
That debate ran in primetime on TVNZ 1 and was chaired by the channel's political editor Jessica Mutch-McKay. The Young Voters' Debate was run by TVNZ's youth-targeted offshoot Re:News. It ran on TVNZ's streaming service TVNZ+ and was livestreamed on social media including TikTok and You Tube.
Re:'s content editor Anna Harcourt was the moderator, armed with a ruby-red buzzer which she used bring the politicians into line when they talked too long…