Efeso Collins

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 Ward. He is of Samoan and Tokelauan 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. 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, 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.

He served as the first Polynesian Auckland University Students' Association 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 president in 1999 and was the first Polynesian in that role. As president he represented students on the Auckland University 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 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, 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, 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 Chris Hipkins 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 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 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 during the 2023 New Zealand general election.

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, 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