Stefan McClean, youth MP. Photo by Dave Crampton.
December 2015
Youth
Dave Crampton
Budding politician Stefan McClean has been selected as National list MP Brett Hudson’s 2016 Youth MP, representing the Ohariu electorate.
Stefan, who attends Ss Peter and Paul parish in Johnsonville, is in his last year at Newlands College. He intends to study law, international relations and politics at Victoria University next year, and has applied for a Catholic Foundation tertiary scholarship.
Stefan only found out about the possibility of being Hudson’s Youth MP a day or so before his interview with Hudson and Speaker David Carter, but he got his application together and was elated to be accepted.
‘When I came out of the interview I had no idea if I would get it or not – it was a complete surprise.’
His term starts in January 2016, and after a training programme he will spend a week in the debating chamber in July during recess.
Stefan says his faith is important to his desire to learn about politics.
‘I’d like to bring Catholic views to politics. Catholicism gives you moral teaching, parliament gives you the application to bring it all together,’ he says.