An Auckland teenager believes he has been rejected as the Youth Parliament representative for a United Future MP because of his religion.
Mt Roskill Grammar's Dipra Ray, 16, thought his phone interview with Bernie Ogilvy was going well – until the Christian MP asked him his religion.
Confirming that Ogilvy "explicitly asked" his religion, Dipra said he was quite hesitant about answering.
"I said fine, I'm a Hindu and I'm proud to be one, and is that OK? That's when he said, 'I'll call you back.' The conversation was very much closed."
The MP denies religious discrimination played any role in his selection of candidate for August's Youth Parliament. "I asked a number of people what their thoughts were on different things, and one of the questions I asked everyone was simply about their beliefs. I'm intrigued at different religions."
He has instead chosen Ray's schoolmate Danielle Hay, 18, a Christian who, like the MP, has connections with the conservative Maxim Institute.
Her father, David Hay, is an Auckland city councillor who has supported Maxim, and Danielle said Maxim put forward her name to Ogilvy.
Ogilvy said he imagined Danielle Hay's views were close to his own but that was not why he had chosen her.
But Ray said he had received a phone call from an angry Phil Goff, the Labour MP for Mt Roskill, who also said Ogilvy had turned him down because of his beliefs and had apologised for his fellow MP's behaviour.
"He said sorry to me for the fact I had been a victim of discrimination, the fact I was treated like that," Ray said.
"When I go back to my own country (India) and they ask, how's New Zealand, I'm always happy to say it's a good place. But then this occurred . . .
"You expect that, in a country where you preach about equality and all that stuff, that you will be able to at least practise it."
Goff had been helping Ogilvy find his representative but there was a communication breakdown: Goff sent Ray a letter saying Ogilvy had chosen him – but at the same time Ogilvy decided to interview him.
Three days after receiving Goff's letter, Ogilvy called to say he was choosing someone else.
Danielle Hay said she would use the opportunity of the Youth Parliament to express her opposition to prostitution law reform and euthanasia.
While MPs often select youth representatives who loosely reflect their own political views, the selection criteria says the Youth MPs are to be independent and "not hold their MP's offices".
Ogilvy previously hit the headlines when the Sunday Star-Times revealed after the 2002 election that "Dr" Bernie Ogilvy's claimed honorary doctorate in law was from a Californian theology school that had never offered a law programme.
Goff has found a consolation place for Ray as an "assistant speaker" in the Youth Parliament.
Ray is not considering a future
in politics. "I find it very much edgy, and unholy to a certain extent.
It's a bit too rough, I think."