New Zealand Young Nationals

As of 2011, The Young Nationals are divided into five regions nationwide:

• Northern;
• Central North Island;
• Lower North Island;
• Canterbury-Westland; and
• Southern.

Each of these regions are headed by their own Chair and executive group and supervised by a National Executive, elected annually during the National Party Conference.

Some regions of the Young Nationals also may have branches. These include the Alfred Street Young Nationals,[12] which are based in Auckland and considered a counter group to the Princes Street Labour movement and VicNats[13] which is based around Victoria University. In 2011, the Young Nationals celebrated 75 years as New Zealand's oldest and largest political youth movement.[14]

The National Executive, are made up of elected members across New Zealand who, set the agenda and leadership for the Young Nationals during the year. There are currently 12 members. They are made of a:

• President;
• Vice-President;
• Secretary;
• Treasurer;
• Policy Chair;
• Membership Officer;
• Creative Director; and
• The Chairs of each of the Regional Executives[6]

Throughout the year each of the five Regions teams have a range of social events. These include, but are not limited to, coffee catch ups with MPs, Social drinks and pub quizzes. Events are usually centred around the academic timetables of the universities in the regions. Additionally, regions will often host Christmas parties and Policy-based events.[15][16][17][18][19][20]

From time to time the Young Nationals have organised balls. These balls are often held in Auckland and are open to members and non-members alike. The most recent ball was in 2018.[21][22]

In 2018, The Young Nationals re-commenced the Young Nats Conference. This conference is an opportunity for members from across the country to network, discuss policy issues and learn to campaign. In 2018, the Conference was held in Nelson, and was followed by a conference in Wellington in 2019 and Queenstown in 2020. [23][24][25]

The Young Nationals, in conjunction with other New Zealand political party youth wings,[27] support the current purchase age for alcohol of 18 years. The Young Nationals lobbied the government in 2012 to keep the drinking age at 18 when the Sale and Supply of Liquor Act Amendment Bill was put by parliament. The Bill successfully passed. This position was reaffirmed in 2018. [28]

In late 2019, the Young Nationals moved to support pill testing at festivals and concerts. The Young Nationals noted that the position was in support of harm reduction, not a motion in support of drug use.[29]

The National Party opposes the merging of Regional Polytechnics as legislated by the Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand. The Young Nationals have also supported this position publicly on the basis that polytechnics maintain regional autonomy and polytechnics maintain their assets.[30][31]

The Young Nationals have lobbied the New Zealand Government to adopt and pass legislation that would move tertiary Students’ Associations to a system of voluntary membership.[32] Currently, Student Union membership is compulsory in New Zealand for most university students. The Young Nationals, in conjunction with ACT on Campus, Free Me and other New Zealanders, were successful in winning select committee[33] and subsequently government support to pass a private member's Bill by ACT MP Heather Roy to introduce voluntary membership to student associations in tertiary institutions.[34] The Bill, Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment, was passed into law in September 2011, and took effect in 2012

The Young Nationals support the creation of an income tax free threshold to assist individuals with the rising cost of living and the re-implementation of 90-day trial periods to increase youth employment.[35]

The Young Nationals have supported the Zero Carbon Act since 2017[36] and have lobbied the National Party to support it since then. The Young Nationals have also supported the continuation of a green investment fund and the Implementation of a nationwide riparian management scheme.[37]

The Young Nationals, as part of their 2020 Policy Platform,[38] support the creation of a contestable mental health first aid training fund to assist those seeking to undertake mental health first aid training programmes in New Zealand and the establishment of a Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.[39] The Young Nationals were credited by the National Party for their idea on mental health first aid and assistance in early intervention measures.[40] In 2019, the President of the Young Nationals, Sam Stead, and Policy Chair, Andrew Mahoney, presented both in writing and in person their positions on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to the Health Select Committee.[41][42]

The Young Nationals support free provision of sanitary items in New Zealand schools.[43]

The Young Nationals supported the legalisation of same-sex marriage in New Zealand, with members lobbying MPs for this change.[44] The Young Nationals support the banning of gay conversion therapy following membership consultation on the issue after Young Labour and the Young Greens petitioned for a ban.[45][46]

A number of other former members have taken up prominent roles across a number of sectors, such as Phil O'Reilly[51] as CEO of Business New Zealand, John Marshall QC as President of the New Zealand Law Society[52] and Paul Matheson as Mayor of Nelson.

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.