Class of 2017 Ministers in the Labour-NZ First cabinet
Pacific and Maori ministers stand out in coalition ranks
The new Government contains a large Maori and Pasifika contingent, making it one of if not the most diverse group of leaders in the country’s history.
Up to 13 ministers sworn into Government yesterday are either of Maori descent or hold ties to the Pacific. A record four ministers have Pasifika backgrounds.
Within the Cabinet, they are Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni, of Tongan and Samoan descent, and Jenny Salesa, who becomes New Zealand’s first Tonganborn and Tongan-speaking Cabinet minister.
She is the new Minister for Building and Construction as well as for ethnic communities.
Outside the Cabinet, former journalist Kris Fa’afoi, whose parents are from the small Pacific Island nation of Tokelau, is the new Minister of Civil Defence and Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
Respected South Auckland Samoan community leader Aupito William Sio takes up the role of Minister for Pacific Peoples.
The majority of the group paid tribute to their respective cultural backgrounds by wearing some form of traditional Tongan or Samoan dress, while Sio also honoured his motherland by saying his oath of allegiance in fa’asamoa.
Other new ministers also chose to say their oaths in te reo Maori, including Minister of Corrections, Tourism and Crown/Maori Relations Kelvin Davis, Minister of Forestry and for Infrastructure Shane Jones, and Nanaia Mahuta, who takes the reins as Minister for Maori Development.
Others with Maori affiliations are new Minister of Defence Ron Mark and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who has iwi links to Ngati Wai.
Outside the Cabinet, Willie Jackson becomes Minister of Employment, Meka Whaitiri is Minister of Customs and Peeni Henare is Minister for Whanau Ora and Youth. Fletcher Tabuteau becomes a parliamentary under-secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Before yesterday’s swearing-in, Sepuloni posted a photo of the unique group on her Twitter page. She wrote: “13 Maori and Pacific ministers being sworn in today. So excited to be part of this Government.”
Previous Governments have also included several ministers of various cultural backgrounds — Pacific, Maori and Asian — serving at different times, but not as many as will help to make up this new Government.
Many people within the Pasifika community have expressed their congratulations to the new ministers or commented about the feat on social media sites, acknowledging that the new Government reflects the New Zealand of today.
Bernadette Pereira, the head of
I am immensely proud, as an immigrant and as a Pacific woman, to show that anyone who comes here can dream big and can be successful. Jenny Salesa, Building and Construction Minister
Pacific women’s group Pacifica Inc, said it was wonderful for the local Pacific community.
“It is a proud moment for the Pacific communities around New Zealand to have good Pacific representation in Parliament at ministerial level.”
Salesa acknowledged how far she had come and therefore, how very achievable it was for others like her — an immigrant — to follow.
“I am immensely proud, as an immigrant and as a Pacific woman, to show that anyone who comes here can dream big and can be successful through perseverance and hard work at whatever they set out to do.
“New Zealand was a land of opportunity for me and as a Cabinet minister I can play a part in ensuring it remains so for everyone who chooses to live here.”