Dunedin Youth Council chairwoman and Taieri College pupil Rachel Irvine said the council, run through the Dunedin City Council, met fortnightly and worked to get high school pupils involved with central and local government processes.
Event organiser and council member George Sabonadiere said the debate was designed to engage young people with politics.
The Logan Park High School pupil said young people got "turned off by politics" because it was not about them.
The five debaters were The Opportunities Party Dunedin North candidate Abe Gray, Labour Dunedin South MP Clare Curran, National Wellington Central MP Paul Foster-Bell and Greens Dunedin South candidate Shane Gallagher.
Moderator Mark McGuire asked debaters the biggest problem facing youth in New Zealand.
Ms Curran said the biggest problem was "my generation, which has not given you a secure future to look forward to" and talked of the high rate of homelessness.
Mr Gray said the lack of a bigger audience at the debate signalled the youth were disengaged from the political system.
Mr Foster-Bell spoke of the challenges to the marginalised youth communities and the suicide rate.
"Any level of suicide is appalling but to learn there is a 280% higher rate for Maori and a 400% higher rate for LGBTIQ tells me we have some huge problems."
