'Very insulting': Pacific candidates lock horns over Ministry’s future

A fierce debate over the survival of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples has set the stage for a tense political battle as six Pacific candidates went head-to-head on the issues directly affecting our communities.

During the PMN Pacific Vote 2026 Debate, hosted by Pacific Mornings presenter William Terite, ACT candidate Henrietta Devoe stood alone in calling for the Ministry to be scrapped.

"I'd just like to say I raised my kids in Ōtara, and honestly, what has it done for the people? Like, what has it done? Really? Nothing," Devoe said, arguing that New Zealand needs a smaller, leaner public service.

Her comments triggered an immediate and emotional backlash from Labour's Jenny Salesa, who defended the agency’s 36-year history.

Salesa said the Ministry of Pacific Peoples represented more than 500,000 Pasifika across Aotearoa.

"I absolutely disagree with that. I think that's a really insulting thing to say. Very, very insulting," Salesa said. "Why should we get rid of the ministry now when we have this many people?"

The heated clash laid bare the sharp ideological split facing voters as advance voting opens on Monday, 26 October, ahead of the general election on Saturday, 7 November.

While Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono and The Opportunity Party's Romeo Tevaga backed the Ministry’s role in identity, business funding and treaty relationships, former Pacific Peoples Minister Alfred Ngaro of NZ First warned that representation without real results is failing families.

"The question you have to ask is, what has it actually achieved? We preach prosperity, but … we practise poverty."

From left: Opportunity's Romeo Tevaga, National’s Angee Nicholas, NZ First's Alfred Ngaro, moderator William Terite, and Labour's Jenny Salesa. Photo/PMN News

The PMN News-Horizon Research survey of Pacific voters finds 56 per cent say issues affecting Pacific people and communities matter when deciding how to vote.

National’s Angee Nicholas defended the coalition government's focus on tighter public spending, arguing that every department must deliver value for money.

"This is New Zealand's budget. And so we want to be able to manage our budget responsibly so that we can invest into the key public services that New Zealanders deserve," Nicholas said.

The debate also exposed sharp divides over healthcare funding and the rising toll of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Salesa promoted Labour’s pledge for targeted free GP visits, cervical screening, and maternity scans, but National’s Nicholas hit back, claiming Labour’s reliance on capital gains taxes would drag the economy further into debt.

On education, candidates sparred over falling school belonging metrics and the rollout of charter schools.

Devoe strongly defended ACT’s push for charter schools, pointing to early promise at the Sisters United Academy for Pasifika girls.

From left: Moderator William Terite, Labour's Jenny Salesa, ACT's Henrietta Devoe and Greens' Teanau Tuiono. Photo/PMN News

"Because not all kids learn the same, pretty much is the simple answer," Devoe said, adding that the model gives parents choices when mainstream schools fall short.

Salesa promised the Labour government would abolish charter schools and restore funding for school lunches up to $6.50 for senior students, rejecting the government’s current $3 per child allocation.

"We do not believe that a school lunch of $3 per child is actually adequate to ensure that the lunch is healthy."

Tuiono warned that constant curriculum changes under the current government have gutted Pacific education plans, leaving students feeling disconnected.

"This is the reason why our kids are feeling so disconnected," Tuiono said, calling for stability and proper resourcing for state schools where the vast majority of Pacific learners are taught.

Advance voting opens on Monday, 26 October ahead of election day on Saturday, 7 November. For more on the upcoming general election, visit vote.nz