Taitoa Wihone ( né Luke Leon Taitoa Wijohn; [1] born 25 February 2002) is a New Zealand environmental activist and political candidate.
Personal life
Wihone was born on 25 February 2002. [2] He is of Māori descent. His iwi are Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tūhoe, and Te Rarawa. [3] He attended Māori immersion class at Richmond Road School and later attended Western Springs College, where he was captain of the hockey team. [4] [5] His mother Elisa Lavelle Wijohn was a breast cancer advocate until her death in 2022. [6] [7] [8]
Activism and politics
In 2017, Wihone volunteered on Julie Anne Genter's election campaign. In 2019, he helped lead the School Strike for Climate in Auckland, with a turnout of 80,000. [5] He accepted the Ambassador of Conscience Award on behalf of the movement. [9]
Wihone was selected by Chlöe Swarbrick for the 2019 New Zealand Youth Parliament. During general debate, he moved for the Youth Parliament to declare a climate emergency. The motion was passed in two minutes. Wihone and 78 other Youth MPs signed an open letter to their adult counterparts urging them to also declare a climate emergency. [10] [11]
In August 2019, Wihone and 13 other teenagers received a one year ban from parliament grounds by Speaker Trevor Mallard for singing " Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi" and flying the Tino Rangatiratanga flag in the public gallery in support of the protests at Ihumātao. [12]
Wihone was selected in February 2020 to contest Mount Albert in the 2020 New Zealand general election. Of several teen candidates, he was the youngest, turning 18 less than 8 months from the election. As with most Green Party candidates, he was campaigning primarily for the party vote. [5] He was placed 18th on the party list. In the election he came third with 5.56% of the vote, and his list placement was not high enough to enter parliament. [13] [14]
On 27 August 2021, while under COVID-19 lockdown, Wihone observed the police in Wellington arresting a man and made a video of it. The police threatened to arrest him. [15]
Wihone encouraged Swarbrick to challenge party co-leader James Shaw in the 2022 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand co-leadership election, but she declined. [16]
Wihone supports lowering the voting age and improving civics education in schools. [2] [17] He supports a wealth tax and cannabis legalisation. [4] [18]
References
- ^ "Mt Albert - Electorate Profile". New Zealand Parliament.
- ^ a b "Green Party candidate makes pointed dig at 'arbitrary' voting age while celebrating 18th birthday". 1 News. 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Party profile: Green Party — NZ Election 2020".
- ^ a b Elliott, John (2020). "Green candidate for Mt Albert – Luke Wijohn". Ponsonby News.
- ^ a b c Franks, Josephine (19 February 2020). "Greens select school strike leader Luke Wijohn for Mt Albert in 2020 election". Stuff.co.nz.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Katie (13 March 2019). "Pharmac funding should be doubled - breast cancer advocate". Newshub.
- ^ "'A mixture of denial and hope': Living with breast cancer". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Elisa LAVELLE WIJOHN Obituary". New Zealand Herald. June 2022.
- ^ "Youth have 'woken up' New Zealand on climate, says Amnesty International". Stuff.co.nz. 17 September 2019.
- ^ Dixon, Sophie (18 July 2019). "Youth Parliament 2019 declares climate emergency". RNZ.
- ^ Aschoff, Kate (23 July 2019). "Youth MPs send climate change hurry-up to MPs". RNZ.
- ^ Walls, Jason (19 February 2020). "Green Party MP hopeful one of 14 youth kicked out of, and banned, from Parliament last year". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Mt Albert – Official Result". Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Police threaten to arrest ex-Greens candidate Luke Wijohn who films them making late night arrest". New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2021.
- ^ Coughlan, Thomas (25 July 2022). "Green Party fights over plot to oust James Shaw, and the long run plan to install his replacement". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ Ensor, Jamies (8 October 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Teenagers Luke Wijohn, William Wood on why they're standing for Parliament". Newshub.
- ^ Tyson, Jessica (23 October 2020). "Youngest Green Party candidate reflects on first time standing in election". Te Ao Maori News.
- 2002 births
- Living people
- Youth climate activists
- New Zealand climate activists
- New Zealand child activists
- New Zealand left-wing activists
- New Zealand Māori activists
- Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand politicians
- Politicians from Auckland
- Māori politicians
- Ngāpuhi people
- Ngāi Tūhoe people
- Te Rarawa people
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election
- New Zealand Youth MPs
Taitoa Wihone ( né Luke Leon Taitoa Wijohn; [1] born 25 February 2002) is a New Zealand environmental activist and political candidate.
Personal life
Wihone was born on 25 February 2002. [2] He is of Māori descent. His iwi are Ngāpuhi, Ngāi Tūhoe, and Te Rarawa. [3] He attended Māori immersion class at Richmond Road School and later attended Western Springs College, where he was captain of the hockey team. [4] [5] His mother Elisa Lavelle Wijohn was a breast cancer advocate until her death in 2022. [6] [7] [8]
Activism and politics
In 2017, Wihone volunteered on Julie Anne Genter's election campaign. In 2019, he helped lead the School Strike for Climate in Auckland, with a turnout of 80,000. [5] He accepted the Ambassador of Conscience Award on behalf of the movement. [9]
Wihone was selected by Chlöe Swarbrick for the 2019 New Zealand Youth Parliament. During general debate, he moved for the Youth Parliament to declare a climate emergency. The motion was passed in two minutes. Wihone and 78 other Youth MPs signed an open letter to their adult counterparts urging them to also declare a climate emergency. [10] [11]
In August 2019, Wihone and 13 other teenagers received a one year ban from parliament grounds by Speaker Trevor Mallard for singing " Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi" and flying the Tino Rangatiratanga flag in the public gallery in support of the protests at Ihumātao. [12]
Wihone was selected in February 2020 to contest Mount Albert in the 2020 New Zealand general election. Of several teen candidates, he was the youngest, turning 18 less than 8 months from the election. As with most Green Party candidates, he was campaigning primarily for the party vote. [5] He was placed 18th on the party list. In the election he came third with 5.56% of the vote, and his list placement was not high enough to enter parliament. [13] [14]
On 27 August 2021, while under COVID-19 lockdown, Wihone observed the police in Wellington arresting a man and made a video of it. The police threatened to arrest him. [15]
Wihone encouraged Swarbrick to challenge party co-leader James Shaw in the 2022 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand co-leadership election, but she declined. [16]
Wihone supports lowering the voting age and improving civics education in schools. [2] [17] He supports a wealth tax and cannabis legalisation. [4] [18]
References
- ^ "Mt Albert - Electorate Profile". New Zealand Parliament.
- ^ a b "Green Party candidate makes pointed dig at 'arbitrary' voting age while celebrating 18th birthday". 1 News. 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Party profile: Green Party — NZ Election 2020".
- ^ a b Elliott, John (2020). "Green candidate for Mt Albert – Luke Wijohn". Ponsonby News.
- ^ a b c Franks, Josephine (19 February 2020). "Greens select school strike leader Luke Wijohn for Mt Albert in 2020 election". Stuff.co.nz.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Katie (13 March 2019). "Pharmac funding should be doubled - breast cancer advocate". Newshub.
- ^ "'A mixture of denial and hope': Living with breast cancer". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Elisa LAVELLE WIJOHN Obituary". New Zealand Herald. June 2022.
- ^ "Youth have 'woken up' New Zealand on climate, says Amnesty International". Stuff.co.nz. 17 September 2019.
- ^ Dixon, Sophie (18 July 2019). "Youth Parliament 2019 declares climate emergency". RNZ.
- ^ Aschoff, Kate (23 July 2019). "Youth MPs send climate change hurry-up to MPs". RNZ.
- ^ Walls, Jason (19 February 2020). "Green Party MP hopeful one of 14 youth kicked out of, and banned, from Parliament last year". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Mt Albert – Official Result". Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Electoral Commission.
- ^ "Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Police threaten to arrest ex-Greens candidate Luke Wijohn who films them making late night arrest". New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2021.
- ^ Coughlan, Thomas (25 July 2022). "Green Party fights over plot to oust James Shaw, and the long run plan to install his replacement". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ Ensor, Jamies (8 October 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Teenagers Luke Wijohn, William Wood on why they're standing for Parliament". Newshub.
- ^ Tyson, Jessica (23 October 2020). "Youngest Green Party candidate reflects on first time standing in election". Te Ao Maori News.
- 2002 births
- Living people
- Youth climate activists
- New Zealand climate activists
- New Zealand child activists
- New Zealand left-wing activists
- New Zealand Māori activists
- Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand politicians
- Politicians from Auckland
- Māori politicians
- Ngāpuhi people
- Ngāi Tūhoe people
- Te Rarawa people
- Unsuccessful candidates in the 2020 New Zealand general election
- New Zealand Youth MPs