By Natasha Smith
Mana, based in Porirua, just north of Wellington is one of Labour’s safest seats.
With the resignation of Winnie Laban – one of the party’s few pacific island MPs, there has been a real contest to replace her as Labour’s candidate in the forthcoming by-election.
Kris Faafoi, a Tokoleaun New Zealander, and Josie Pagani, a local and political insider, have been fighting for the position.
Mr Faafoi has the support of the Pacific Island community, says Deputy Mayor Litea Ah Hoi.
“I’m being biased here but from a Pacific Islander’s perspective, we would like to see the next MP a Pacific islander.”
But according to former Mayor of Porirua John Burke, the Labour electorate are sick of Labour head office parachuting outsiders into the safe seat of Mana.
“We have had our candidate imposed upon us at every change of Member of Parliament since 1960, lovely people each and every one of them, but the reality is that the local electorate hasn’t been given much say on the choices in real terms.”
It has split the Labour Party over a fundamental issue - how much longer can its candidates be white, when a huge slice of its support is brown.