Auckland mayoral candidate Efeso Collins says he wants to see Auckland's postal voting system consigned to history and doesn’t think it helps voter turnout in areas like south Auckland. Photo: David White / STUFF
When the late Green MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins made his maiden speech before New Zealand Parliament - just days before his passing - he voiced his concern for Kiwis at the lower end of the economic scale and his disapproval of cutbacks on welfare - a policy that's been on the New Zealand Government's radar since Prime Minister Luxon assumed office in November last year.
"It's hard to be poor, it's expensive to be poor, and moreover, public discourse is making it socially unacceptable to be poor," Fa'anānā said.
"Whether it's bashing on beneficiaries, dragging our feet towards a living wage, throwing shade on school breakfast programmes, or restricting people's ability to collectively bargain for fairer working conditions, we must do better to lift aspirations and the lived realities of all our people."
For his supporters, Fa'anānā's untimely death is a blow to bringing about policies that would lower living costs. In his election campaign last year, Fa'anānā was vocal about free tertiary education, free public transport and universal basic income.
"Everyone was hopeful for the work that he was going to be doing as a politician in Parliament", said one funeral attendee Michel Mulipola.
"So to see that tragically cut short...that's why everyone is gathered here because we were so full of hope. That hope has been passed on to the young people he inspired."
Michel Mulipola Photo: RNZ Pacific/Finau Fonua
During his 21-minute speech, Fa'anānā reiterated his support for lowering fossil fuels and his stance on "bridging the gap between the haves and have nots".
"I know there are some who believe government are not the answer to these challenges and that less government is better. But here's the thing, government cannot be a bystander to people suffering confusion and dis-enfranchisement," he said.
"The economics of creating unemployment to manage inflation is farcical when domestic inflation in New Zealand has been driven by big corporates making excessive profits...it's time to draw a line in the sand, and alongside my colleagues here in Te Pāti Kākāriki, we've come as the pallbearers of neoliberalism, to bury these shallow, insufferable ideas once and for all."
Another legacy, Fa'anānā left behind were his efforts in uplifting Pasifika. During his career as an Auckland councillor, Fa'anānā went out of his way to motivate and mentor young Pasifika in the public service.
"From as long as I've known him, he has always made an effort to bring up people with him."
"So that's a legacy that everybody here will share moving forward in our own spaces that we will be moving back to," said a former colleague, Damian Piilua.
Chelsea and Leilani Collins. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Finau Fonua
During his maiden speech, Fa'anānā called on government to invest in supporting young people.
"I've spoken with hundreds of young people with massive dreams for the future," he said.
"We need youth workers, we need social workers, and we need mentors to walk alongside our young people, and, yes, we want our youth to be responsible and caring and considerate.
"So it's our job in this House to resource the people and organisations who will model the behaviour to them that we expect, but who also won't give up on them and won't come with a saviour mentality."
Despite his landslide loss in the 2022 Auckland Mayoral election and last year's general election where he came third in his constituency of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu, Fa'anānā appeared to be gaining popularity, especially among Pasifika.
"He was always very giving and generous, and we always admired his selflessness," Fa'anānā's niece Chelsea Collins told RNZ Pacific.
"He always thought about others and putting others first before himself."
