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Lack of Pasifika MPs in govt a concern for community reps
Pacific leaders fear they will have little or no voice in the new National-led government with the real possibility of not a single Pacific person making it into the new coalition.
Labour had 11 Pacific members of Parliament, then 10 when Kris Faafoi left, included was Carmel Sepuloni who became Deputy Prime Minister when Chris Hipkins became leader.
National currently has one possible Pacific MP – Angee Nicholas – but she may lose the Te Atatū seat on special votes, leading with only a margin of 30 over Labour’s Phil Twyford.
But even though the race was tight, she said on social media she hadbeen stopped and congratulated by community members.
“It is going to be close but I hope to bring it home now,” Nicholas said in a post to social media.
Despite the close race Angee Nicholas says she has been getting positive responses from people in her community. “This beautiful family stopped me today to say congratulations. THANK YOU. A selfie to recall this moment. It is going to be close but I hope to bring it home now…” she posted. 15 October 2023 Photo: Angee Nicholas/Official candidate Facebook page
National list MP Agnes Loheni has not made the cut, as things currently stand.
Pacific political commentator Thomas Wynne said it meant the number of Pacific people in government might very well go to one or even zero.
“Here’s my question to National, who is it exactly that you’re going to have as the minister for Pacific people? Because if Angee doesn’t get in and neither does Agnes, then who? Because you don’t have any Pacific people in there,” Wynne said.
“Chris Luxon has said he has a party of diversity, well I’m sorry but that’s just not the case.”
At the moment Dr Shane Reti is the Pacific people’s spokesperson for National.
On the campaign trail Reti said “attending to the cost of living” was one of the most impactful things that could be done for Pacific people.
Thomas Wynne is part of the Marumaru Atua voyagers. Here he helps guide the vaka into Avarua Harbour in Rarotonga. Photo RNZ/Daniela Maoate-Cox Photo:
Pacific community advocate Melissa Lama said she did not know how National planned to make decisions on Pacific issues.
“To me that’s really scary to have one person represent a massive group of New Zealand society who are visible which is our Pacific people, I just can’t get over that.”
Lama said she felt disheartened after the results.
“If we look at some of the campaigning slogans and narratives that particularly the right side, National and Act have had throughout this election it doesn’t necessarily give me hope for what’s to come for my future and my children’s future,” she said on Sunday.
“I’m definitely gutted. I feel a bit low mood today.”
Melissa Lama, Community Leader, Dunedin Photo: Fire Fire / The Outliers
On Saturday, at a Pacific election watch party in Ilam, Christchurch most attendees opted to socialise outside instead of watching the results. Views on what’s to come for Pasifika are mixed. There’s some excitement for change but also nerves.
A common thread was concern the Ministry for Pacific Peoples would be scrapped.
However, just last week the now-incoming prime minister told RNZ Pacific he would not bow to ACT.
“Our position very strongly is I’ve been supportive of the Pacific Peoples Ministry, I haven’t been supportive of the management of it, when you have a $40,000 farewell I think that’s insane,” Luxon said.
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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