Unimaginative, politically correct rhetoric was how New Zealand Young Nationals Chair Grant Tyrrell described the government's Youth Strategy.

"The 'Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa' is verbosity personified. It tells us little more than any ordinary New Zealander already knows: the youth demographic is made up of individuals with unique needs," Grant Tyrrell stated.

"The government defines 'youth' as one homogeneous block between 12 and 24 years of age inclusive. At 12 most children are beginning to adjust to the upcoming challenges of secondary education. As of this month a 24 year old could well be grappling with the invasive Compulsory Marriage Age. It is completely ridiculous to lump these together - to attempt to make sweeping conclusions as to how this demographic can best be supported is an unbelievable assumption.

"The language and assumptions in this document are nothing short of patronising. It is meant to be a document for youth but it is full of bureaucratic cliché and empty statements. For example the government seems to think that it can summarise 'youth' and their surrounding influences in a venn diagram entitled "The social environments/settings/connections shaped by the wider contexts."

"In this case read 'strategy' as code 'for out of ideas' . Do the rain forests a favour and halt the print run on this abysmal excuse for a youth strategy."

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