On Tuesday, 16 June 2026, the McGuinness Institute had the pleasure of supporting a visit to Parliament for a group of students from St Patrick’s College (Wellington). This came about as a result of a number of people’s generosity and faith.
- The Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon offering his time for a fund-raising event
- Dame Therese Walsh, Chair of Air New Zealand, and Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors for hosting the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust charity auction, an event they organise every year
- Meredith O’Connor, Executive Assistant, Office of the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, and Gerardine Parkinson, the Rector’s Secretary for helping facilitate the visit
- Mr Mike Savali (Rector/Principal of St Patrick’s College), a proud Old Boy of the college, for seizing the opportunity
- Mark McGuinness, another proud Old Boy of the college, for immediately recognising the opportunity the auction provided current students of the College.
It was a great example of what can happen with everything aligns.
Mr Mike Savali (Principal), Ms Rowan Pearson (teacher) and Wendy McGuinness pose with the
St Patricks College students in the Beehive Theatrette.
The St Patricks College students have a go on the Prime Minister’s balcony.
The St Patricks College students being introduced to Brad Olsen, the Chief Executive and Principal Economist at Infometrics, by Wendy McGuinness.
It was a win–win–win: the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust (WHWT) charity auction raised vital funds; the students spent an hour with the Prime Minister (who took the time to answer each of their thought‑provoking questions in depth in his boardroom); and the rest of us were able to sit in and enjoy the Q&A.
The students from St Patrick’s College included Lachlan Snowling, Elijah Tia, Michael Cash, George Clark, Trey Liefting, Conor Rook, Charlies McDougall, TJ Duggan, Owen Ranga, Luis Prinas and Jared Capili. They were accompanied by Mr Mike Savali (Principal) and Ms Rowan Pearson (teacher).
The students were drawn from Years 12 and 13, and are either undertaking Scholarship History or involved in the Strengthening Democracy programme with Peter Cullen.
- The Scholarship History students are examining the relationship between the state, unions, and workers over the period 1870–1945.
- The Strengthening Democracy students had just completed presentations to a select committee, following the preparation of a report on the state of New Zealand’s democracy.
Together, these areas of study provided a strong foundation for engaging with the Prime Minister. Questions covered a diverse range of topics from AI, truth to power, leadership in the 21st century, the importance of public service, challenges the Prime Minister had faced and lessons for 18 years olds. The students asked thoughtful and well-considered questions about current issues and New Zealand’s future—demonstrating both curiosity and confidence in engaging with public leadership:
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You have talked about your meaning and purpose in your life, but how do you use that to get yourself up at 4.30am for months and months on end?
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I read your speech on securing New Zealand’s future in a more volatile world, and in it you spoke about security, and not only defence as part of security, but also energy independence. Do you think that a part of that would be potentially subsidising solar panels so that all of the homes in New Zealand could have solar power?
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What do you believe young people like us should do in the future?
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Personally, have you ever told any lies to your family or to the public for the greater good of Aotearoa?
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When you were younger did you think you would be Prime Minister? What was your career goal?
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New Zealand is currently developing its first AI data centre in the South Island. This has come with massive economic benefits, but also plenty of protest, particularly from creative arts industries whose job is particularly vulnerable to generative AI. How does the government plan to navigate this controversial line of economics and culture between arts and AI?
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Throughout your career and now especially as Prime Minister, how do you handle criticism and people with negative opinions about you?
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With the Fees Free programme being scrapped, how do you think this will affect low-income families for people who wish to pursue further tertiary education?
The opportunity arose through the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust charity auction, an event generously hosted by Dame Therese Walsh, Chair of Air New Zealand, and Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors. Their stewardship of the evening not only supports critical work addressing homelessness, but also enables experiences such as this—connecting young people with civic life in a tangible and memorable way.
From the Institute’s perspective, the forms part of the Institute’s CivicsNZ project, which aims to strengthen civic literacy and participation among young New Zealanders. Attendees from the McGuinness Institute included Wendy McGuinness, Greta Balfour, and Scarlett Nevin-Matterson.
Experiences like these are central to demystifying government. They help students see Parliament not as a distant or abstract institution, but as a working environment where ideas are debated, decisions are made, and accountability is exercised. Through CivicsNZ, the Institute is committed to enabling more of these encounters, ensuring young New Zealanders are informed, engaged, and equipped to contribute to New Zealand’s long-term future.
We extend our sincere thanks to the Office of the Prime Minister and parliamentary staff for facilitating the visit, and to the Wellington Homeless Women’s Trust and its event hosts for creating the opportunity.
The McGuinness Institute looks forward to continuing its work through CivicsNZ to foster civic understanding, informed participation, and long-term thinking among New Zealand’s next generation.
