Western News: July 30, 2019

10
Tuesday July 30 2019
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Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
WESTERN NEWS
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Fire rages, homes at risk
Wigram Youth MP eyes political career
OPPORTUNITY: Wigram MP Megan Woods with her Youth MP,
Hornby High School student Iris Taramai.
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
WHEN IT comes to politics,
Iris Taramai feels strongly about
overcoming the threat of climate
change.
The Hornby High School
prefect described her selection
by Wigram MP Megan Woods
to represent the electorate
at the Youth Parliament in
Wellington as a “great learning
opportunity”.
Iris, 17, was one of 120 New
Zealand young people selected
to represent their community as
a Youth MP.
As part of the two-day event,
Iris and the other students had
the opportunity to ask members
of Parliament questions on a
range of topics, including the
environment and mental health.
She also took part in a
legislative debate and voted on a
mock sustainable energy bill.
Iris said the bill that was
passed aimed to have about
15,000 electric vehicles on the
road by 2025.
With her passion for the
environment, she is planning
to study biochemistry at
Canterbury University next
year. Iris was also on the Youth
Parliament environment select
committee.
Her goals are to help limit
the agricultural industry’s
greenhouse gas emissions and
make New Zealand plastic-free.
She met Governor-General
Patsy Reddy and Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern in
Wellington.
Iris said Ms Ardern was one
of the best speakers she has ever
heard. “She is really passionate
about our country and I love
that. She talked to us about the
whole life of an MP.”
Iris became interested in
politics during a school trip to
the Beehive when she was at
intermediate school.
The message she wants
to get across to other young
people is that they can be
successful no matter what their
background is or where they
come from.
“I had many options for
schools I wanted to go to but
I think I made the best choice
coming to Hornby . . . it is
great going to a smaller school
because we get to know each
other and we also get a lot more
opportunities,” Iris said.
Choppers put kids on cloud nine at museum
ABOUT 3700 people flocked
to the Air Force Museum of
New Zealand for a free school
holiday event.
The fun-filled programme
included the chance to see all
the museum’s helicopters on
display together, as well as a
visiting A109 helicopter from
the Royal New Zealand Air
Force No 3 Squadron, which is
based at Ohakea.
Hundreds queued for a
chance to sit inside one of the
choppers, or get “cammedup”
with face-paint and a
helmet. The drone-flying
demonstrations also proved
popular, as did the helicopter
flights and display from
Christchurch Helicopters.
More than 500 kids went
on a helicopter-themed hunt
around the museum, which also
put in the draw to win a flight
with Christchurch Helicopters,
piloted by All Blacks great
Richie McCaw.
Said museum spokeswoman
Michelle Sim: “It was
fantastic to see the museum
buzzing with so many people
having a wonderful time
engaging with aviation, and
we’re very grateful to our
supporters for helping make
the day such a success”.
UP AND AWAY: Papanui’s Jesse
McKey and her son Chase in
the RNZAF A109 helicopter with
Brodie Radbourne 11, Lachlan
Radbourne, 4, and their dad Dave,
of Mairehau. (Above) – Rolleston’s
Chase Tucker, 7, climbs aboard
the Iroquois helicopter..(Left)
– Corporal Tim De Roo shows
Lawrence Chacko, 2, the inside of
an Iroquois helicopter.
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