Lessons at Parliament

Crisp shirts, polished shoes, ID card around the neck—14 Victoria University Political Science students don’t look like the average university student as they trade the lecture theatre for the Beehive.

2015 parliamentary interns

The fourth year students have been selected to take part in an internship at Parliament as part of their Honours class. Each is assigned to an MP, and for one day a week over four months, they gain first-hand parliamentary experience and insight into the life of an elected representative.

Aside from having to buy new corporate clothes, Salote Talagi says she’s enjoying the chance to study in the country’s powerhouse. “It’s a rare opportunity, and it’s really exciting. I’m learning things you won’t read about in a textbook,” she says. 

Salote, who’s partnered with National’s Simon O’Connor, has been helping the Tamaki MP organise a national conference, conduct research and respond to enquiries from the public.

Niuean-born Salote is positive the experience will help her forge a career in politics. “I’m interested in politics in the Asia-Pacific region where New Zealand is the leading nation. In the future I can use this experience to help Niue politicians be good lawmakers.”

Samantha Lassen is also discovering things she wouldn’t learn in a classroom, such as how MPs relate with staff, the intricacies of legislative processes and just how tough political life can be. “The biggest surprise is that being an MP is a really thankless job. The MP I work under works so hard—11-hour days, no weekends. They do a lot of work, but seem to get a lot of criticism,” she says.

Professor of Political Science Stephen Levine says the internships provide a valuable first step into politics and government as many past interns have gone on to secure permanent positions in Parliament and the public service, or gained internships in other political institutes in Washington DC, New York and Geneva.