Fa'anānā Efeso Collins (born ) is a former elected member of the
Auckland Council. He was a two-term Auckland councillor (2016–2022), in 2019 he was the highest polling candidate in the
Manakau
Manakau is a settlement in the Horowhenua District, at the boundary of the Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington regions of New Zealand's North Island. It lies 8 km north of Otaki and 12 km south of Levin, and is connected to both vi ...
Ward.
He is of
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
n and
Tokelau
Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, a ...
an descent.
He was a candidate for the Auckland mayoralty in 2022 and his endorsements for mayor included both the Labour and Green parties
and the then mayor Phil Goff.
Early life and education
Collins was born and raised in the Auckland suburb of
Ōtara
Ōtara is a suburb of South Auckland, New Zealand (formerly Manukau City), situated 18 kilometres to the southeast of the Auckland CBD. Ōtara lies near the head of the Tamaki River (actually an arm of the Hauraki Gulf), which extends south t ...
.
He was the youngest of six children.
Collins carries the Samoan
matai title of Fa’anana from the village of Satufia, Satupaitea,
Savai'i. He was raised "immersed in religion", with his father being a church minister in the Sāmoan Pentecostal movement for a time. He attended East Tamaki Primary School and Ferguson Intermediate School. He briefly attended
Auckland Grammar School before moving to
Tangaroa College.
University studies
He later studied education at the
University of Auckland
, mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work
, established = 1883; years ago
, endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021)
, budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021)
, chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant
, vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997 followed by a Master of Arts in 1999. His MA dissertation included discussion of 'brown flight' .
He has subsequently contributed to four published works and taught at
Auckland University
, mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work
, established = 1883; years ago
, endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021)
, budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021)
, chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant
, vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
.
He served as the first Polynesian
Auckland University Students' Association
The Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA), founded in 1891, represents students at the University of Auckland. AUSA organises student events, publicises student issues, administers student facilities, and assists affiliated student c ...
president.
He has stated his education at the University of Auckland – particularly a metaphysics paper – 'helped me to start to open my eyes to difference.'
Career
Since graduation in 1999 Collins career has spanned education, research, business ownership and the public sector.
Collins has worked as an Adjunct Lecturer (2014–2015) (School of Education, Laidlaw College), Achievement Facilitator (Faculty of Education, University of Auckland), Pasifika Education Advisor (Ministry of Education), Pasifika Youth Development Manager (2005–2007) (Ministry of Social Development), and Community Liaison Advisor (2000–2008) (University of Auckland).
Political career
Auckland University Students association 1999
He was elected
Auckland University Students' Association
The Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA), founded in 1891, represents students at the University of Auckland. AUSA organises student events, publicises student issues, administers student facilities, and assists affiliated student c ...
president in 1999 and was the first Polynesian in that role. As president he represented students on the
Auckland University
, mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work
, established = 1883; years ago
, endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021)
, budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021)
, chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant
, vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
Council
Papatoetoe Local Board Chair 2013–2016
At the
2013 Auckland elections, Collins was elected to the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board and became its chairperson.
He contested the
Labour party candidate selection for the
Manukau East seat before the
2014 general election, but ultimately
Jenny Salesa
Jennifer Teresia Salesa (née Latu, born 1968) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as a Member of Parliament since 2014. She was first elected as MP for Manukau East, and after its abolition in 2020 won the ...
was selected and won the seat.
Auckland Council 2016–2022
At the
2016 Auckland elections, Collins was elected to the
Auckland Council, replacing
Arthur Anae
Arthur Anae (born 1945) is a New Zealand politician who served on the Auckland Council. He was an MP from 1996 to 1999, and again from 2000 to 2002. He was part of the National Party, being its first Pacific Islander MP.
Early life
Anae, who wa ...
, who did not seek re-election. He was sworn in as a councillor for the
Manukau ward on 1 November 2016. In 2019 he was re-elected as the highest polling candidate in the Manakau Ward.
On 27 August 2021, during the
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is part of COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in New Zealand was reported ...
, Collins called for the New Zealand Government to grant an amnesty to people who had overstayed their visas in order to encourage members of the
Pasifika community to come forward for COVID-19 tests. The then
Health Minister A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Chris Hipkins
Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician and a member of the Sixth Labour Government's Cabinet as Minister of Education, Minister of Police, Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the ...
had earlier reassured the Pasifika community that the Government would not use any information collected during testing for immigration purposes.
On 25 July 2021, Collins disclosed that he and his family had received a death threat on 19 June in response to his comments criticising
TVNZ's ''Police Ten 7'' programme for its negative depiction of the
Māori and Pasifika communities. Despite the threats to him and his family, and the 'deep sense of guilt' he felt for exposing his family to the threat, Collins and his wife resolved to continue his involvement in politics.
2022 Auckland mayoral election
In January 2022 Collins announced he would be running for
Mayor of Auckland
The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amal ...
in the
2022 election.
On 28 February 2022, the
Labour Party announced that they would be endorsing Collins as their preferred candidate. On 15 March 2022, the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
announced their endorsement of Collins, a first for the party.
On 8 October, Collins lost the race to centre-right contender
Wayne Brown by a margin of 54,000 votes. While Collins won 54,808 votes, Brown won 144,619 votes. Collins attributed his election defeat to alleged "unconscious bias" among voters and the postal ballot system which disadvantaged lower-income voters. Following the 2022 Auckland mayoral election, Collins announced that he would retire from local body politics and ruled out running for the
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the King of New Zealand (King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by hi ...
during the
2023 New Zealand general election
The 2023 New Zealand general election to determine the composition of the 54th Parliament of New Zealand is planned to be held on 14 October 2023, after the currently elected 53rd Parliament is dissolved or expires. Voters will elect 120 memb ...
.
Political views
Collins is particularly concerned with climate change, public transport, housing and urban spaces. He backs
fare-free public transport as "the first and best way" to address the city’s emissions.
Although aligned with the Labour Party, he has veered from the party line on a number of occasions, such as opposing the Regional Fuel Tax on equity grounds, and being a vocal supporter of the Ihumātao protest.
During the
2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum
The 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum was a non-binding referendum held on 17 October 2020 in conjunction with the 2020 general election and a euthanasia referendum, on the question of whether to legalise the sale, use, possession and prod ...
, Collins opposed the legalisation of cannabis; however he supports its decriminalisation.
Collins has been vocal about his journey with faith and cultural values. He has stated, 'Those of us who have come from really strict religious upbringings are journeying towards that position
f liberal Western norms.
On abortion, Collins says, 'I won't get in the way of women and people who are pregnant making their own, deeply personal decisions. I too am on a journey of understanding and empathy and always open to listening to people's diverse experiences and beliefs.'
Several lists of his priorities, in comparison to other mayoral candidates, have been published on news
and Auckland Council websites.
Family
Collins and his wife Fia have two daughters.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Efeso
1970s births
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Auckland Councillors
New Zealand Labour Party politicians
New Zealand people of Samoan descent
New Zealand people of Tokelauan descent
People educated at Tangaroa College
University of Auckland alumni
Politicians from Auckland