Labour’s Manukau East candidate selection

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, February 22nd, 2014 - 42 comments
Categories: election 2014, labour, Politics - Tags:

The selection for the Labour Candidate for the Manukau East seat is being held today.  The nomination is heavily contested and there are a number of candidates who could perform the job well.  Of course there can be only one winner but hopefully for the unsuccessful other opportunities will arise.

Candidates include:

  1.  Jerome Mika, a union organiser and the party’s 2011 candidate in Papakura where he performed well.  He would provide much needed organisational strength to the area and has a strong background in the party. He is one of the serious contenders.
  2.  Lydia Sosene.  She is the chair of the Mangere Otahuhu Local Board, is well regarded locally, and has extensive links into the local community.  I would regard her as having a good chance of success.
  3.  Sunny Kaushal.  He was Labour’s Pakuranga candidate at the last election.  He is a very seasoned campaigner and works hard for the party.
  4.  Efu Koka.  He is a previous Manukau City Council and has been active locally for many years.  I would rank him as one of the front runners.
  5.  Anahilia Suisuiki.  She has worked hard for the party both locally and regionally and has strong links to the Tongan Community and Labour’s pacifica sector.
  6.  Efeso Collins.  He is the chair of the Otara Papatoetoe Local Board and topped the poll at the last election.  He blogs on the Daily Blog and has one of the most amazing campaign videos I have seen.  It is here for everyone to enjoy.  I would rank him as a prospect for the seat and if not this seat then his talents have to be put to use somewhere else.
  7.  Jenny Salesa.  She is a lawyer and a member of the Tongan community.  I have not met her but her CV is impressive and she has skills which could be very useful in Parliament.
  8. Nhorrie Dillon.  Again she is someone I have not met but she has business background and experience which could be helpful for the party.

Update:  And Jenny Selesa has been selected.  She gave the second best speech IMHO and she has skills that will be very useful to Labour in the next Parliament.

42 comments on “Labour’s Manukau East candidate selection ”

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  1. Disraeli Gladstone 1
    22 February 2014 at 1:37 pm

    Efeso Collins’s submission to the select committee on marriage equality reduces any enthusiasm for him. Sure, Labour’s a broad church and people may be against equality for religious reasons, but his submission also suggested he was also against same-sex adoption and threw out a slap at single parents as well.

  2. tamati 2
    22 February 2014 at 1:56 pm

    Efeso’s video is brilliant. Clearly some musical talent amongst his supporters. Bit strange how he threatens a ‘hiding’ if you don’t vote for him. I know it’s meant to be a joke but domestic violence is no laughing matter!

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      22 February 2014 at 3:40 pm

      A+ for effort but C for actual message. Far too much chorus and not enough verse, and the verses don’t have much in the way of real content.

    • No Man Ban here 2.2
      22 February 2014 at 11:04 pm

      That is your opinion, for Manukau East he was the strongest and most passionate and now the “man Ban” has provided us with self serving cronies, and robbed Manukau East of any decent representation. This is a stitch up!

  3. Old Tony 3
    22 February 2014 at 2:00 pm

    Why don’t you choose another union organiser and narrow the Labour gene pool yet further? Even better go along with Disraeli Gladstone and confirm the party is not in fact a broad church. More like a cluster of sexual activists masquerading as a political party to whom the concept of church is anathema.

    • Disraeli Gladstone 3.1
      22 February 2014 at 2:06 pm

      Collins being against marriage equality for religious reasons isn’t that troubling. Like I said, Labour -is- a broad church. And people who genuinely think that marriage is a religious institution and shouldn’t be meddled with by the State… well, I don’t think that’s true, but okay, I’m not going to hold that against a person.

      My concern was his submission also was against same-sex couples adopting and also making single parents seem substandard. Unlike say the argument of marriage being a religious institution (it’s not anymore, but never mind) neither of those have anything to do with the Church and marriage (unless you want everyone to be dictated to by the Church).

      So those comments in his submission weren’t necessary but were added anyway. They are comments of a social conservative than a potential Labour MP.

      You can be a liberal, progressive person and not be a “sexual activist” whatever the hell that means.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.1
        22 February 2014 at 2:15 pm

        Sexual activism is when the gay onslaught goes ’round to Old Tony’s house and makes suggestive comments that make him blush.

        He’s been waiting patiently these last sixty years. Won’t someone notice Old Tony? Please?

  4. karol 4
    22 February 2014 at 6:42 pm

    David Cunliffe just tweeted:

    Congrats Jenny Salesa on Labour selection for Manukau East & Cliff Allen for Hamilton East.

    • The Pink Postman 4.1
      23 February 2014 at 3:08 pm

      Cliff Allen’s selection for Hamilton East is a great choice.Cliff won the selection against two excellent candidates .
      .I can assure you all that hard working Bennett will find he is up,against a man who wants to win.I am predicting that Cliff Allen will beat the least known MP in the country .Hamilton needs and deserves an MP who will work for all Hamilton residents Cliff Allen is that person.

  5. xtasy 5
    22 February 2014 at 7:20 pm

    Well, I am not sure, whether they picked the best candidate, but that is my personal feeling. Jenny Salesa seems to be an engaged professional, who has worked and lived in the US for about 8 years, and only been back a year and a half or so. That may represent a bit of a “challenge” to hit the ground running and be fully in tune with what’s happened in NZ since 2005.

    Well, it is not my business, but best wishes to Jenny Salesa. It seems we will get a spark or splash of “Obama type campaigning” in the upcoming election campaign, given her strong involvement withthe Democrats in the US.

    • karol 5.1
      22 February 2014 at 7:26 pm

      It’s hard to know where a candidate is coming from just from their work CV. I did have some misgivings about selection of 2 candidates with highly professional backgrounds. But there’s no telling what activism, etc. they have done in the past.

      I’d like to see more Labour MPs with a strong background from, or working at grass roots level with low income people – maybe some with activist backgrounds.

      • Bill 5.1.1
        22 February 2014 at 7:43 pm

        I’d like to see more Labour MPs with a strong background from, or working at grass roots level with low income people – maybe some with activist backgrounds.

        All those institutional barriers and them damned gatekeepers…not happening.

        • weka 5.1.1.1
          22 February 2014 at 9:16 pm

          Micky, or anyone, would you please explain how the selection process works?

          • Jenny Kirk 5.1.1.1.1
            22 February 2014 at 9:33 pm

            Its a reasonably robust process, Weka. Nominations are called for – potential candidates must put up a CV etc and they face a Question and Answer session before the actual selection meeting. I think in the case of Manukau East, there might have been two Q & A sessions.
            Candidates ideally should have been financial members for at least 12 months, but there is allowance for dispensation in special cases. All the candidates give a 10 minute speech to the selection meeting, and then a selection panel goes off to a separate room to decide who should be the candidate.
            The selection panel consists of a certain number of people (usually three, sometimes two) appointed by NZLP’s top body – the NZ Council – and often includes the president and general secretary of the Party, plus two, three, maybe four Party members selected from the “floor”. (These numbers are dependent on how many financial LP members that electorate has).
            The only people able to vote for the local members on the selection panel are local LP financial members of 12 months standing.
            There’s also a “straw vote” from the floor – local LP financial members – which gives the selection panel an indication of which candidate has the strongest LP support in that electorate.

            Forgot to say – the candidate’s CV usually provides details of their voluntary, community activism alongside their involvement in Party activities as well as their professional career, etc.

            • weka 5.1.1.1.1.1
              22 February 2014 at 11:05 pm

              Thanks, that’s interesting.

              Can I clarify – the NZ Council appointees are chosen ahead of time, but the local party members are voted in on the day by whoever is present?

              • Jenny Kirk …
                23 February 2014 at 10:12 pm

                Yes to Weka. Everyone seems to know who the NZ Council appointees are – which wasn’t known in my day (30-odd years ago), and the local party members are voted in on the day by those local LP members who are eligible to vote (ie financial, and been active in the LEC for a certain period of time) .

                And I don’t know so much about the puff of smoke, MS, sometimes it takes a few hours ….. I’ve known selection processes to go on long into the night and into the next morning – doesn’t that happen any more these days ?

          • mickysavage 5.1.1.1.2
            22 February 2014 at 10:03 pm

            Jenny basically described it although it is a bit like Papal selections and there is a puff of smoke and the successful candidate appears …

  6. Tiger Mountain 6
    22 February 2014 at 7:50 pm

    “Career opportunities–the ones that never knock…”
    –The Clash

  7. Ad 7
    22 February 2014 at 11:00 pm

    I feel a bit sad for Jerome. That’s a stand-up dude. He’s union, he’s Rugby League, he’s a Cunliffe bridge to the Mike Tolich-esque Blue Dog end of Labour, and he’s actually cool in an “Across 100 and tenth street” kinda way.

    Personally however I would have swallowed my liberal pride and gone with Efeso. Massive enrollment and mobilisation numbers go with him.

    Sigh.

    I sure hope Jenny Salesa can mobilise numbers – Labour won’t win the country without mobilised numbers in the south.

    • No Man Ban here 7.1
      22 February 2014 at 11:09 pm

      No fan, I was there and I feel that Efeso and Jerome had the floor. Moreover, I think that the decision was decided to go for a woman long before this process had begun. Today felt like a formality, and it also felt like the delegates were not taking the voting process seriously, I saw all sorts of people putting in voting slips, plus people putting in more than one, no close scrutiny or monitoring, the whole thing was too casual for my liking!

      • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1.1
        23 February 2014 at 7:27 am

        Considering what a sore loser you are, looks like Labour dodged a bullet.

      • Pasupial 7.1.2
        23 February 2014 at 7:52 am

        Not Man Ban but Woman Elan!

      • Claris Moses 7.1.3
        23 February 2014 at 11:18 am

        Actually, I have never been to a Labour selection process where the floor voters haven’t been checked to see if they meet the criteria and are marked off a list so they don’t have two votes. If you were a candidate you might need to learn a wee bit more about the processes and what solidarity means.

        • Jenny Kirk 7.1.3.1
          23 February 2014 at 10:16 pm

          Yes – Claris. That’s been my experience as well. Very close monitoring as to who can vote when,
          and who cannot vote. Having been on the sideline often enough not being able to vote, and having to be just an observer …. I have to say I think the Party’s checkpoints at selection meetings are robust.

      • cricklewood 7.1.4
        23 February 2014 at 12:44 pm

        “People putting in more than one” as in people were putting in a sealed ballot for say the person sitting next to them or people were voting multiple times? If you honestly believe the latter (which would constitute vote rigging etc) you really should lay a complaint it is a serious allegation…

    • greywarbler 7.2
      23 February 2014 at 6:31 pm

      Another lawyer to stand for Labour.. Were there any worker-and-wise candidates. I get the feeling that anyone who isn’t a lawyer is at a disadvantage in trying to get into politics in Labour.

      In the NACTs the advantage would be in knowing how to wheel and deal. John Banks this morning talking in his raucous way about how good commercial radio is, sets the type, Joyce is Choyce too. According to Banks Radionz is not up to it and better to leave it to the privates. The trouble is then you don’t know who the Generals are.

      Perhaps that’s why Labour needs the lawyers. To check up on NACT’s latest heist. We can do with a real police force. Perhaps Labour’s role role into the distant future – to try and prevent the raids by the likely lads and usual suspects into whatever asset we have managed to make or retain .

      • cricklewood 7.2.1
        23 February 2014 at 8:57 pm

        Agreed that it would be nice to have a few that had done a few years on a shovel, meet more than a few guys over the years who practically speaking run rings around most. Sure they are not book smart but the different angles they approached / saw things from found many a solution to a difficult problem. I do think there are to many career politicians or academic types in labour now and the average person on the street struggles to relate to them.

  8. eleni 8
    23 February 2014 at 3:29 am

    Jen not only has the qualifications, the experience, and the love of Pacific and ethnic people, she also knows how to make it happen for all new zealanders!Labour has sense!

    • Claris Moses 8.1
      23 February 2014 at 11:25 am

      Agreed. There were 8 terrific candidates showing a lot of depth and value so we were spoilt for choice with the caliber of candidates for the selection.

      However, the best candidate was chosen on the day and Jenny has a proven track record of campaigning, has good Labour values which are not dubious and wont be compromised, and will represent Manukau East and the whole of Labour well both in the house and outside of it.

      As a lawyer she also has the ability, with a bit more experience, of holding lofty positions later.

  9. Tracey 9
    23 February 2014 at 8:26 am

    Mickey

    Who do you think gave the best speech and why.

    Can you try to convey to us how jenny soubded and spoke?

  10. Positively Labour 10
    23 February 2014 at 11:29 am

    Good on her for winning, good to get quality candidates. So many talented people running in one electorate, it must have been a difficult position.

  11. ropata 11
    23 February 2014 at 12:00 pm

    Labour needs to get over its reputation of the Helengrad thought police and this didn’t help. Still a lot of resentment from blue collar NZ about supposed PC meddling. Shoulda gone with Efeso.

  12. Paul 12
    23 February 2014 at 12:45 pm

    Until Coatsworth and Barnett go we will continue to get selections where the bast person isn’t chosen. Moira needs to go, she’s a hopeless fundraiser and she’s stuffing up candidate selections all over the place. Everyone who was at yesterday’s selection meeting knows Efeso Collins and Jerome Mika were the best nominees. She should hang her head in shame. It was a disgraceful jack up to get a woman selected irrespective of who was the best. So why not cancel selection meetings and get Barnett and Coatsworth to announce there coterie of candidates by media release from Frazer House.

    And no I’m not a troll but a paid up member in Hutt south..

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      23 February 2014 at 5:01 pm

      So, when are you guys sorting out a new candidate in Hutt South. Snap to it.

    • xtasy 12.2
      23 February 2014 at 9:54 pm

      Hear, hear, hear, so there are more “challenges” than the caucus and than with getting policy designed and communicated without flaws.

      Although Efeso may have his own shortcomings, I would have thought he had been picked. I was wrong, and I read some things here, that reveal why that may be.

      Also no extra post on the new poll on TV One yet, which tells me, there is a lot of depression around, that is in certain quarters.

      Some urgent and deep soul searching is needed, before any true revival of Labour can take place. You have a new leader, but a good captain alone cannot necessarily rescue a ship in stormy seas.

      Yet the Greens have some stuff to think about too, and Russel better return to focus on policy and stuff that matters, rather than play school yard games with Colin “Cringe” or whosoever.

  13. Tracey 13
    23 February 2014 at 4:41 pm

    paul were yoy there or at home in the hutt?

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