In an announcement early this month, the Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters party, New Zealand First, has selected Fiji-Indian Anne Degia-Pala as its candidate from the West Auckland electorate of Kelston once again.
“Ms Pala was our candidate in the same electorate in 2017 and represented our Party’s values very well. She has lived in the West Auckland area for over 30 years.
“Anne was elected as the first woman president of the Waitakere Ethnic Board in 2004 and was later appointed to the Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel for Auckland Council. She founded EthNix Links, a women’s leadership network in 2006, a board member of Make a Wish Pacific Foundation, Drowning Prevention Auckland, and a member of the Interfaith Auckland group. Her work in voluntary sector toward ethnic communities earned her a Queen’s Service Medal in 2007.
“Ms Pala is an advocate for peace and social justice, equality, human rights and child poverty. With the wealth of experience she brings and her continued commitment to the Party, we are glad to have her as our candidate for Kelston in 2020,” said the party. – TIN Bureau
About Anne Degia-Papa (as told to Multicultural Times last year)
Last year, when Degia-Papa stood in the local government elections for the Whau Ward, she told the Multicultural Times in an email interview:
“My arrival in New Zealand was in February 1990 with my husband and two children. I am born in Fiji with a South Asian heritage from Gujarat, India. I worked as an executive officer at the University of Auckland followed by senior executive positions in the corporate sector. I am a company director of WinMac Solutions Ltd an Information Technology Company now operating some 24 years in West Auckland.”
In my spare time, I volunteered for women and children. In 2001 a family tragedy led me to become involved in education and the Waitakere Ethnic Board. I passionately pursued community development and governance which I am strongly committed to in my effort to advance social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being of families, especially women and children. I developed an interest in public policy, social development, human rights and advocacy.
I was elected the first woman President of Waitakere Ethnic Board in 2004 followed by several community roles and appointed as a founding member of the Auckland Council Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel in 2010.
For my work with women and children, I was awarded a Queen Service Medal by the Government of New Zealand in 2007 and was appointed an Ambassador for Peace in 2017 by the Family Federation of World Peace.”
-TIN Bureau