Little gets down with the kids

It’s Andrew Little as you’ve never seen him before – hip, trendy and down with the kids.

The List MP and Labour stalwart, who has an office in New Plymouth ‘‘voted Top Town in 2008’’, has released a hilarious video encouraging young people from the city to get a taste for politics.

He also uses the opportunity to take good-natured pops at Paula Bennett, David Seymour and Gareth Morgan. Seymour’s moves on Dancing

in the Stars are mocked as being ‘‘not safe for twerk’’ in the 60-second video, while John Key’s three-way handshake skills and Bill English’s exercise technique are also given both barrels.

‘‘I’m reaching out for a Youth MP for 2019,’’ Little says, while being filmed in and around The Beehive.

‘‘If you live in the New Plymouth electorate, are at school, aged between 16-18, I want you,’’ Little says

‘‘All you need to do is make a 60-second video of the Taranaki you want to see in 2028.’’

The videos have to be submitted by October 7, and while Little is urging young people to be creative, he also asks them to make sure any music is ‘‘pretty legal’’ – while using a picture of National’s Steven Joyce, who got into a row with rap giant Eminem, to warn of the dangers of unauthorised backing tracks.

‘‘So zip it, sweetie and lose yourself in the video,’’ Little urges Taranaki teens. ‘‘So make it lit fam,’’ he adds, before concluding with the word ‘‘boom’’.

The reaction on Little’s Facebook page has been largely positive, with Leeann Apps telling the Minister of Justice, for Courts, and Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations that he’s ‘‘pretty fly for a white guy’’.

Little said he was targeting senior high school students in a way he hoped would appeal to them.

Whoever becomes the Youth MP will get to spend a number of days in parliament seeing how the system works, he said.

‘‘It’s a pretty amazing experience.’’