New Zealand's Youngest Parliamentarian in 42 Years Hopes to Do Supporters Proud
Chlöe Swarbrick, a 23-year-old set to become New Zealand’s youngest member of Parliament in 42 years, thanked supporters in a Facebook Live video broadcast on Monday, September 25.
Swarbrick, of the Green Party, hasn’t been sworn in yet but said she had been signing paperwork in the capital of Wellington on Monday, following the country’s general election on Saturday.
In the Facebook video, she vowed to follow Greens’ agenda of ending poverty, cleaning rivers and fighting climate change. “I also just wanted to quite quickly thank you all for putting me here. You’re now my new boss,” she said with a chuckle. “So… this is an incredible privilege. I am incredibly honoured… I just wanted to say that there’s going to be a lot of learning to do over the next few months and years, and I’m going to continue listening… I’m stoked to be a representative for all of you out there… There’s really no words for this. So thank you all so much, and I hope that I do you proud.”
Swarbrick received 2,995 votes in her electorate of Maungakiekie, in Auckland, behind victor Denise Lee of the National with 12,338, according to the New Zealand Electoral Commission. The Green Party has received 5.9 percent of the vote and obtained at least seven seats in Parliament – Swarbrick was seventh on the Greens’ list. She will be the youngest member of Parliament since Marilyn Waring was elected in 1975, also at the age of 23, local media reported. Credit: Chlöe Swarbrick via Storyful
