Can’t eat dinner’
Little known facts about Meng Foon:
Foon worked for Clarke Gayford’s parents as an apple picker, and says he was the ‘‘fastest apple picker in their paddock’’. Foon said he worked for them as he was ‘‘getting a bit fat and ... said, ‘Oh gosh, I better go and do something’.’’
After the Nga¯ti Porou deal was settled under the Foreshore and Seabed Act, Foon said he didn’t believe many people would be disadvantaged by reduced beach access, as most of the East Coast population was Ma¯ori anyway.
Foon was a solo sopranist at Gisborne Intermediate, and he had people telling him he should shift to Auckland’s prestigious King’s College to pursue his talent – ‘‘but that never eventuated’’. leadership and on having a plan and a vision.’’
Amunsden said Boniface and Conroy were ‘‘not wrong’’ about her challenge but thought she could be in for a win.
And the man himself? Shadbolt said it was all in the name.
‘‘The incumbent has an advantage, because you have done three years of high profile community work.’’ Chinese. But I’ve been able to traverse worlds and be neutral about it and be fair.’’
While his mother died last year, Foon’s father remains in a rest home in Hong Kong. His mother would always make the trip over to Gisborne when he was re-elected.
‘‘It was always a great honour and to actually see them and support their big boy. Never in their world they would have thought I would’ve been the mayor or they would have bred a mayor in their family.’’
Foon reckons he’s brought success to Taira¯ whiti because of his action-oriented background. ‘‘If you don’t plant the cabbages, you’re not going to eat dinner that night.’’
But although there have been big projects such as a multi-million dollar wastewater treatment plant, he prefers to speak about his achievements in terms of his relationships – rich, poor, business, non-business, farmers; going to christenings, tangi and weddings.
‘‘To be seen, or to be seen face-to-face, it’s very important regardless of which community we are.’’
The biggest changes he’s noticed in Taira¯ whiti are changes in Ma¯ oridom itself, includingt the restoration of Ma¯ ori language and settled Treaty of Waitangi claims. .
But he sees challenges ahead for future councils: environmental sustainability, climate change.
‘‘The earth is everything. If you look after mother earth, look after Papatu¯ a¯ nuku, we will have a future. If we abuse it, nature will have an answer to our continued abuse.’’
Rebecca Needham, director of the Confucius Institute at Victoria University, says Foon leaves a legacy of ‘‘building real and enduring connections across people and cultures’’.
‘‘His embrace of te reo in public life, coupled with pride in his own heritage language Cantonese has done a lot to break down traditional stereotypes of Asian New Zealanders, and open up new ways of thinking about connections between Ma¯ ori and Chinese.’’
‘‘People see me as a neutral person too, you know? I don’t have any Ma¯ori relations as such, I don’t have Ma¯ori blood, I don’t have English blood, just pure Chinese. But I’ve been able to traverse worlds and be neutral about it and be fair.’’ – Meng Foon
Meng and Ying will stay in Gisborne, and have recently built a new home. They’ve set up a charitable trust – Aotearoa Social Enterprise to create pathways for the unemployed to get into work, and hope with Provincial Growth Fund money to build a food processing plant. They’ve also bought a camp ground, Tatapouri, which they’re going to repurpose as a seaside resort with a licensed cafe, glamping tents, a spa and sauna.
They’re planning to visit their daughters Amanda and Jessica in London once a year while their son Nathan looks after Tatapouri.
One of their daughters has a son of her own, Toby.
Foon is looking forwarding to babysitting, but he’s ‘‘still got seven months to go yet’’.
There’s the Te Ha¯ 2019 Sestercentennial in October, marking the 250th anniversary commemorations acknowledging the first formal meetings between Ma¯ ori and Europeans on and off the coast of Taira¯ whiti.
Just after that event wraps up, it’s Foon’s last day around October 12.