Meet the exciting candidates running to represent a South Auckland community

By-elections are taking place in South Auckland and, as Justin Latif reports, he would have a difficult time finding a more diverse pool of candidates.

What do a famous singer, a record weightlifter, a former fisherwoman, a social media expert, a radio show host, and a computer scientist have in common?

Not much, other than everyone wanting to claim the vacant seat on the seven-person local board of Māngere-juntatāhuhu, for which voting by mail is now open (ballots close at noon, February 17).

Following Labor’s landslide election victory last October, former member Anae Neru Leavasa was able to secure the seat in Takanini’s electorate, opening an opportunity for someone new to represent the roughly 80,000 residents of this area of ​​South Auckland. .

After driving through the two suburbs that make up this local council, you’ll be forgiven for thinking there are only three candidates in this race, judging by who has a billboard presence, but in fact six locals have thrown their hats into the ring. . , from a wide range of origins.

At a recent community networking event I attended in downtown Māngere Town, only one candidate, Elnez Tofa, was present to give his address to voters.

Tofa, a 41-year-old mental health support worker, is one of three independent candidates in this election.

“I have been affected by the big problems in our area,” he told the crowd, “like living in overcrowded housing, where there were 10 of us in a house in Māngere. Or trying to find the best educational opportunities for my children. these issues are addressed, the perspective of someone directly affected by these issues should be on the local board. “

Tofa, who broke the bench press world record while competing on the New Zealand weightlifting team, says the discipline required in elite sport will be transferable to his future role as a politician.

“You are under immense pressure [when competing]But I’ve learned a lot from the sport about determination and drive when you’re feeling uncomfortable. “

The only woman in the race is Sharon Bragg, another freelance candidate, 57. Her experience includes stints as a commercial fisherman, chef, and worker. She is currently a social entrepreneur with a recycling business and this is not the first time she has applied for a position on the local board.

“I ran in 2016, and for the same reason I am running now,” says the Ōtāhuhu resident.

“I’m interested in the environment. Climate change is a problem. We really have to clean up our city and clean up what could endanger us in the future.”

He would also like to see strong measures against pensions to ensure better treatment of tenants, having seen how several people were evicted from this type of accommodation in the surroundings of Ōtāhuhu for, he says, arbitrary reasons.

At 28, Christian Malietoa-Brown is the youngest candidate in the field, but he says traveling the world singing Croatian music has given him the experience of a lifetime.

Acting as Klapa Samoana, he and his brother have performed in America and Europe, stopping over in India to volunteer for a time at Mother Teresa’s orphanage.

“Our success has been so great that we have a place named after us in Croatia and we are in the process of obtaining honorary Croatian citizenship,” says the Māngere resident proudly.

Malietoa-Brown led the last election campaign of the National Party candidate Agnes Loheni, but is running in these elections as an independent. He says his main focus, if chosen, will be to stop the gentrification of Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, starting with the removal of concrete bollards from the bike lanes around the city center.

“If Auckland Transport doesn’t remove them, I will organize an event to remove those bike lanes ourselves, because they are elitist and border on racism. The money that has been wasted on these could go to much better things for the community.”

While choosing the local board is his focus now, his sights are set even higher: becoming New Zealand’s first Pacific-descended prime minister.

“The goal right now is for the local board, then create a ticket for the next election and run for councilor next year and then hopefully in the 2023 election I will be the National Party candidate for Māngere, so that is the plan. “

Another candidate with ties to the National Party is Malcolm Turner, who is running under the banner of Communities and Residents. Turner’s mother, Fia, ran for National in the 2014 election, and the 41-year-old says it is an honor to follow his mother in politics.

“I really admire my mother for the integrity that I’ve seen. I don’t care about fame. It’s about integrity for me.”

Turner, who lives in Māngere Bridge and runs the area’s community Facebook page, has the slogan “Defend Māngere Bridge” stamped on several of his billboards. He says the current board has largely ignored the problems facing this coastal town.

“People don’t feel like the local council shows up here. For example, there are no Labor Party posters for the campaign at Māngere Bridge,” he says. “The board doesn’t go down to street level where the people are. So one thing I’d do is close the distance between the board and the community.”

Labor’s Papaliitele Lafulafu Peo refutes Turner’s claim, adding that the number of billboards in an area does not necessarily translate into votes.

“We have billboards on Māngere Bridge, so he can say what he wants, but I know there are families in Māngere Bridge who support Labor.”

Peo, a 49-year-old social worker who hosts a popular show on Radio Samoa, says his focus, if chosen, will be to keep the area’s swimming pools free, improve local parks and improve the health and well-being of the community.

“Through working together and empowering our church communities and families, we must encourage people to plant their own gardens and make their own home cooking, rather than buying fast food.

“We also have an economic crisis, so what I will focus on, if I am elected, is that we are working with large employers in our area to secure great jobs for our local people.”

Phil Bridge also sees community health as an important issue in the upcoming elections. The 46-year-old ran for the NZ Outdoors Party in the last general election and is running for the local board under the same banner.

Having lived in the area for the past 25 years, Bridge believes that he could be a better advocate for the community than current local board members.

“I am concerned for my community because they have had little representation to date. I am here to change that.”

Bridge would like to see a more profitable public transportation system and strongly opposes fluoridation of the city’s water supplies.

By the afternoon of February 17, the preliminary results are expected to be released, and barring unforeseen circumstances, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu will have its new member of the local board.

Whoever the winner is, one thing is for sure: they will be local and passionate about their area.

Eligible voters can hand-deliver their ballots to the Māngere city center library or Ōtāhuhu library until 12 pm on February 17. There are also two “meet the candidate” events on February 4 at Ōtāhuhu city hall and February 9 at Māngere Center for the Arts. Visit the Auckland Council website for more information.