This Is Our Moment.
This Is Our Moment.
I’m Ethan Reille, and I believe in a New Zealand where young people are heard, opportunities are equal, and the future is shaped by all of us — together.
I grew up in Wellington, surrounded by people who taught me the value of fairness, community, and standing up for one another. When the postcode lottery pushed my family out of the city I loved, I saw firsthand how circumstances outside your control can shape opportunity — and why young people should never be defined by them.
That move strengthened the lessons I had already learned. It was where I found my voice through youth leadership and local advocacy. At 15, I became one of Aotearoa’s youngest public servants, and at 18, the youngest candidate in the 2023 election. Those experiences taught me what it means to walk into rooms where I wasn’t expected, stay long enough to listen, and earn respect.
They shaped the way I lead today — by bringing people together, bridging generations, and making sure young voices have a real place in shaping our future.
My journey has always been about one purpose: ensuring young people have the power and support to build the Aotearoa they want to live in. Because we have the tools, the people, and the potential to make that future ours.
MY STORY
NEWS
“The people we need to be encouraging to vote are those holding down two jobs, struggling to pay rent, just trying to get by. Those are the people who need to be shaping the decisions that impact us the most.”
“I think there are a lot of critics that say young people aren’t experienced enough or knowledgable enough to have some of those mature conversations. I think that’s a really outdated perception.”