Orewa College student Henry Blakeman interviews David Seymour on Dom Harvey's podcast after standout moment at PodLab workshop.

Year 8 ākonga brings big political questions to the mic

Year 8 student Henry Blakeman had a unique chance to share his political voice with a national audience when he interviewed Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour on Dom Harvey’s popular podcast.

Henry was invited to take part after attending a PodLab workshop in Auckland with the Orewa College podcast team. The workshop, run by Jay-Jay Feeney and Dom Harvey, gave ākonga hands-on experience in professional podcasting. Dom was so impressed with Henry’s curiosity and acumen behind the mic that he personally invited him to appear on a future episode.

When the episode went live, Henry took the opportunity seriously. He asked questions about issues that matter to young people today, including the voting age, NCEA, the size of government, and the cost-of-living crisis.

Dom described Henry as "razor sharp with a big future ahead of him", and online reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Some listeners even called him "the next Jack Tame." Henry’s peers have shown great manaaki, with many stopping him around kura to offer congratulations. 

Henry hopes to pursue a future in politics, though media is also on the radar. There’s already talk of him returning to the podcast for more interviews. He’s especially grateful to Sharon De Vries, whose support and organisation made it possible for him to attend the PodLab workshop in the first place.

Watch the full interview "David Seymour gets GRILLED by 13-year-old Henry Blakeman" below.

Photo credit: The Dom Harvey Podcast