PMN Summer Series: Tongan political trailblazer - ‘Our Pacific people deserve to be heard’

Welcome to PMN's Summer Series, where we republish some of our best and most popular stories from the last 12 months - in largely their original form.

With Auckland Council's budget cuts looming and a general election on the horizon, Tongan local body politician Maria Meredith says her Pacific community must continue to exercise their political voice.

Regarding her own political journey, the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board chair was spurred into action on hearing Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban's (DNZM QSO) quote: "If you’re not at the table, then you’re on the menu."

Six years ago, the mother of four was working as a senior manager at the University of Auckland while fitting in PhD studies when she received a call to stand for her local board.

"It dawned on me, what’s the use of this knowledge if I’m not sharing it," says the Glen Innes resident.

Her successful 2018 by-election campaign was a family affair, with husband Eugene and her children, and also extended family members door knocking around the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward.

"I think we surprised people in the community going door-to-door because they aren’t used to meeting politicians who look like them. My kids are very shy, it was our first experience campaigning together."

She found success again during the local body elections in 2019 and again in 2022, and as well as being appointed the chair of Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board, she was made the Vice President Pacific for the Labour Party in 2021.

Aotearoa New Zealand born and raised in Herne Bay; the 57-year-old was all too aware of the local issues facing her own Tongan community and other Pacific communities.

"In my local community we had for many years produced statistics that show poor outcomes in education, housing, health, infrastructure and environment, etc. Yet, Tāmaki is an amazing, diverse and vibrant community rich with history, great people and a beautiful landscape."

She cut her political teeth at school, assuming a number of leadership roles and going on to chair her local school’s Board of Trustees for a decade and helming the Auckland Pasifika Festival advisory committee to name just a few.

"I always had my nose in a book as a child, and as the eldest of five I was used to taking the lead."

She says Pacific communities will readily act when they’re highly motivated and as Broadcasting Standards Association figures show, Pacific make up the largest number of complaints about the use of profanity on radio and television. However, when it comes to civic matters, Pacific people are known to shy away and this was highlighted when in the recent Auckland Council budget consultation, they were heavily underrepresented in the 40,000 plus submissions.

Meredith challenges her community to engage with local body and central politics, as well as putting themselves forward to represent.

She says the recent death of her mother Anna Maria Tu’itavuki Anau brought home the importance of Pacific stewardship. Her parents founded a church branch of Siasi O Tonga Houeiki (originally established in Tonga in 1929) during the 1970s in their Herne Bay family home, with the church opening its own building two decades later in Grey Lynn.

Growing up with these values shaped Meredith’s worldview, ultimately leading toward a life of service.

"We step into that space so that we can influence policy and bylaws, we can have a political voice. If you’re not at the table, then you’re on the menu – but it’s deeper than that, we owe it to our families to serve to the best of our abilities."