A young voice for New Lynn
Being the youngest candidate in an Auckland electorate does not get in the way of Karen Williams’ confidence.
The 23-year-old Maori Party candidate said it was time New Lynn heard a young voice.
‘‘Politics does not have an age. There are problems that need to be solved right now.’’
It was maturity, not age that mattered, she said.
The Glen Eden resident knew the New Lynn electorate well – not a single wrong answer for a quick pop-quiz about the electorate.
Williams said she wanted better transport in the area because travel times to some places were too long, despite the transport hub.
If elected it would be one of the top issues she would take to Parliament.
Williams has never lived in New Lynn, but she worked at Bunnings on the corner of Titirangi Rd and Great North Rd for a number of years.
She said she became aware of social inequality when she was completing her degree in sociology.
The young candidate said the defining moment came during a lecture on child poverty.
Williams said she realised there was a lot of unpleasant realities that people wanted to hide from.
The Maori Party’s policies aligned with her beliefs and she believed being colonised had left some people in a disadvantaged position.
Born in Rarotonga, she said the Maori Party was ‘‘absolutely not’’ an odd choice for someone with a Pasifika background.
The woman, who graduated from Kelston Girls’ High School in 2012, said the important thing was she understood the issues people faced. ‘‘I have the heart and knowledge to do this.’’ Williams’ ability to work a crowd was remarkable and her energy was relentless. It was going to take more than a ‘‘sorry, not interested’’ to discourage her. Some busy commuters at New Lynn Train Station wanted to go past her, but it seemed hard to ignore that smile.
She said she knew politics could be ruthless, but she was up for the challenge.
The Maori Party received 119 votes in New Lynn in the 2014 general election.