Māori wards campaigner, 15-year-old Jack Karetai-Barrett, is not finished with his efforts to raise awareness about the need for Māori perspectives in local government.

He plans to take his and other youth opinions about the importance of Māori wards to Parliament.

Jack walked and cycled to Tauranga and back during the latest school holidays to promote Māori wards, but on his return, said there was something else he wanted to do.

“I’m riding my bike to Wellington. My goal is to deliver a letter to [Prime Minister] Christopher Luxon explaining why Māori wards matter,” Jack said.

He plans to leave Whakatāne on June 29, the first Sunday of the upcoming school holidays.

Jack Karetai-Barrett walked and cycled to Tauranga and back during the latest school holidays to promote Māori wards.

“I’ll pick up letters from other kids on the way. I’m writing to schools and places now to ask them to help kids write letters.”

He has told the Prime Minister’s Office he is coming and has requested a meeting with Luxon.

It is not Jack’s first journey to Parliament.

At 10 he was part of a group from Whakatāne who delivered a petition to the steps of Parliament to change legislation to allow councils to create Māori wards without the ability of the community to overturn the decision through a referendum.

His mother, Mawera Karetai, said he had never forgotten that experience, which had a profound impact on him.

Jack Karetai-Barrett returned from his hīkoi to Tauranga by bike, and now plans to bike to Wellington.

“I didn’t realise just how strongly that whole experience affected him. That sense of having some power to have change made.”

He plans to ask the Prime Minister to vote on his behalf because he is not yet old enough to vote for himself.

A bus load of people from Whakatāne will be travelling to Wellington to support him but most of the time he will be on his own.

Once his route is determined he will let people know what towns he will be in on what day so that people will be able to host him.

He hopes other rangatahi will entrust him with letters expressing their hopes in regard to Māori representation in local government to give to Luxon.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.