Andrew Little to Help Pacific Community Set a Vision for the Future.

This Saturday the 18th of July, the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Little will make a personal appearance at the first ever “Pacific Vision Day”. He is on the program as the special guest speaker and will tell the pacific audience why pacific people should continue to give their vote to the Labour Party.

The 1 day conference is presented by the Auckland Pacific Sector of the Labour Party and has an impressive line-up of speakers – including former MP of Maungakiekie the Honourable Vui Mark Gosche, Pacific MPs Su’a William Sio, Carmel Sepuloni, Jenny Salesa and Poto Williams, and Local Board Chairs Lemauga Lydia Sosene (Mangere-Otahuhu) and Fa’anana Efeso Collins (Otara-Papatoetoe).

The Chairman of the Sector, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, believes the conference offers an opportunity for pacific people from all walks of life to actively contribute to the political conversation. “Times have changed and pacific people need to be more directly involved in politics in order to really influence and shape policies that will affect us. Of course it’s important to exercise your right to vote, but we want pacific people to go a step further and be more involved in shaping the policies of the parties they are giving their votes to”.

Mr.Retzlaff is optimistic that this day will be the beginning of a change in the way pacific people engage with their political leaders, “This is just the beginning of the conversation. I hope the day provides a safe environment for open and frank discussions and that by the end of the day we have some clear ideas about a vision and some goals for the future”.

Counties-Manukau District Health Board member Apulu Reece Autagavaia is excited about the idea of encouraging more pacific people to stand for the local government elections in 2016. “I’m keen to encourage our people to step up and stand for positions of influence like the District Health Board. We are woefully under-represented on these boards, even in areas like Counties-Manukau and other South Auckland local boards where pacific people make up the majority of the population”.

The free conference is open to all pacific people regardless of political affiliation and promises an opportunity to engage and interact with pacific leaders, MPs, local government and district health board representatives.

Registration begins at 9:30am and the opening ceremony commences at 10am. The “Pacific Vision Day” is being held at May Road Primary School, 504 Richardson Rd, Mt.Roskill, this Saturday, 18th July 2015.

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