On Saturday 22nd of February, the Labour Party will select its candidate for Manukau East and if there is a real desire within Labour to elect the next generation of leaders, Efeso Collins will be the candidate.
Efeso blogs here on TDB, I have known him since University days when he and I were involved in student politics on Auckland campus.
I have always been amazed and impressed with Efeso’s intellect, his compassion and his leadership. If Labour want to elect a candidate who has deep roots within the Pacific Community alongside an ability to cross cultural lines and appeal to the entire electorate, Efeso is that person.
Auckland is the largest Pacific Island city in the world and as a community they deserve a voice that can not only carry their concerns effectively, it deserves a voice who can communicate and connect with the values of the wider electorate. I believe Efeso has the talent, ability and intelligence to be seen not only as a leader of the Pacific Island community, but he can be embraced as a leader of all NZ.
I sincerely hope the Manukau East Labour Party also see his potential and decide to inject real new blood into this electorate. There is much riding on this selection, his candidacy would show Labour are dedicated to providing new leaders who will show real leadership.
Candidate meetings
SATURDAY 15th FEBRUARY – 10am-12pm
WEDNESDAY 19th FEBRUARY – 6-8PM
OTARA PACIFIC PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – Pehalo Talagi Hall
7 Ferguson Road
Otara
Good luck, Efeso. If you win a seat in Parliament, the “bear pit” awaits… On the plus side, you’ll be an asset for the Progressive Left, going by the things I’ve heard you say and see your written words…
“I am writing to express that I don not support this bill. Marriage is
a sacred institution between one man and one woman.
…
Further to my cultural beliefs, children have the right to be raised
by a mother and father as this is the cornerstone of our society.
…
Evidence shows that children do best in life when raised – in their
immediate environment – by married parents.”
– Efeso Collins’ submission to the Marriage Equality Bill.
Against marriage equality. Against same-sex couples adopting. And also against solo parents.
He may be a good guy, I don’t know him. But that is hardly the writings of someone who is a bastion for progressivism.
I too remember Efeso from student days. I too admired him for his tenacity amongst what looked like a pack of hooligans that made up student politics at that time.
Imagine my surprise then when Efeso spoke out so strongly against marriage equality. I get it that it may be a contentious issue for religious minded folks but some of the wording in his objections disturbed me greatly. Did I read him wrong?
All the best with this candidacy run Efeso… Your reputation and your works heralds the quality of your community leadership. Manukau people, across all the electorates, deserve a representative such as you.
What the hell did I just watch?
There are some righteous questions raised above re Efeso’s position on Marriage Equality that I wanted to address in terms of my support for Efeso.
Firstly, I am a massive supporter of Marriage Equality and have been an active supporter of gay rights in NZ. I used to write a current affairs column for Express the Gay newspaper, I was a contributor to the first full page advert in the herald calling for Marriage Equality, I made space on the first talkback show I ever hosted for Rainbow Youth to discuss LGBT issues, I have been to more pride events than I can count, I have actively blogged on gay rights and marriage Equality and I think there is a photo in the NZ Herald from last year with me kissing my partner outside a Lush store on Queen street for their Marriage Equality kiss in protest.
I am thrilled that my lesbian and gay brothers and sisters can have their relationships given the same respect as everyone else’s.
Second, I can’t speak for Efeso and his position on Marriage Equality, that is for him to defend, but I will say this. He and I disagreed passionately on this issue and throughout the debate Efeso was respectful, and dignified. I think Parliament needs more people who light up the fire of their ideas without needing to burn the other. While I disagree with him completely on the issue of Marriage Equality I see the abundance of other issues we do agree on and his drive to help those with less in his own community is unchallenged.
That’s why he has my support.
Perhaps, but such beliefs have no place in a progressive liberal party of the left.
Of course, Labour has had far too many MPs who aren’t very good at being progressive and liberal, and for far too long, but that is not an excuse to continue in such a manner.
In 2005 the ‘party of the left’ was delivered another three years by poor and pasifika people in South Auckland. I remember election night. The bosses of the party fell over themselves congratulating each other on getting out the brown poor.
But those same poll fodder stayed home in 2008 because the ‘progressive, liberal’ party had done nothing for them over three years and Labour’s defeat was deserved. After 2005 Labour walked away from the Maori Party. It did not extend working for families to those who were out of work because it preferred to woo the middle class vote. It did not control the rental or power markets.
It refused to acknowledge and accomodate the socially conservative values of much of it’s poor support base. Instead it pushed ahead with policies that alienated a big portion of the brown and working class vote.
So here is the nub for Labour. Either it continues to push ahead as a party that sees it self as ‘progressive and liberal’ and excludes the large poor and brown populace that disagrees, or it engages with that population. Engagement is hard. It involves listening-which is notoriously difficult for white, educated folk.
Efeso is the smartest, most charismatic politician I have heard and seen in years. I’ve spent time with him. He listens and is respectful to other opinions. He is also immersed in his community.
In pointing out what we see Efeso’s prejudices, we ought to take care and acknowledge our own. White leftists delude themselves if they think the brown left will wait for approval.
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