“I’ve always held the firm belief that your age does not determine your ability,” he told Star News.
Standing as a council candidate for the Riccarton Ward, Jones said with a chuckle: “Truth be told, I don’t have a lot of spare time.”
While his peers are partying, the Canterbury University student is out in the Riccarton community, meeting people and volunteering his time to fight for the issues important to them.
Driven by his passion for the community, Jones said he was a “confident communicator” who strives to listen to the community and hear their stories.
“Despite my age, I’ve actually worked really hard since leaving high school to progress issues for my community and on a national level as well.”
Though Christchurch is his main priority, Jones has also been a lobbyist for central government for a couple of years and understands how the bureaucracy works.
“I’ve actually got a lot of experience for my age and I’m ready to take that next step into Christchurch City Council,” he said.
Jones has been a part of the Riccarton community his whole life and believes Christchurch is the best city in New Zealand to live in.
“Everything from the layout, the culture, the shared experiences and the growth of our city is so promising and something I don’t think you can see elsewhere.”
If elected, he said his top five priorities would be community safety, climate action, sensible and strong public transport investment, greater council accountability and better spending, specifically in community initiatives.
"I will be listening to you, just as much as I listen to students, if not more," he wanted the wider community to know.
"I will be at every single community event, I will be helping out at the community garden, I'll be helping to coach your children on Saturday sports teams.
"I will be just as active as other councilors."
