Kerrin Leoni Launches Historic Mayoral Campaign, Rallies Diverse Voices To Boost Voter Turnout
Article – Mary Afemata – Local Democracy Reporter
Kerrin Leoni has officially launched her campaign to become Auckland's first Māori woman mayor.
During her campaign launch at Jubilee Hall on Friday night, she emphasised the need to mobilise underrepresented communities, particularly in South Auckland, to increase voter turnout in the upcoming election.
More than 150 supporters attended her event, which featured diverse performances celebrating cultural representation.
'I am going to be the next Mayor of Auckland because this city needs a new generation of leadership that reflects our diversity, our challenges, and our huge, exciting potential,' Leoni told her supporters.
Leoni (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Kuri and Ngāi Takoto) aims to enhance civic engagement, pointing out the low voter participation in areas like Ōtara and Papatoetoe. She plans to combine digital outreach with community organising to encourage youth voting.
She honoured the late Fa'anānā Efeso Collins, acknowledging the racism he faced during his 2022 mayoral campaign.
Manukau councillor Lotu Fuli highlighted the importance of active participation in honouring the legacy of Collins and former Minister Judith Tizard, who was concerned about postal voting accessibility.
'Efeso smashed those barriers,' she says. 'He made it easier for someone like Kerrin to stand up now. But we cannot afford to stay home again.'
Fuli says voter turnout has been as low as 19 per cent in some South Auckland neighbourhoods, contributing to Collins' loss. 'Let's be honest. It was our own people who did not vote last time.'
In the 2022 local elections, turnout was just 22 per cent in Ōtara and 24 per cent in Papatoetoe, well below Auckland's overall turnout of 35.4 per cent, according to official feedback from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board.
Fuli praised the diverse turnout at Friday's launch as a sign of Leoni's leadership.
'Tonight's event is a snapshot of the kind of mayor and the kind of leader Kerrin Leoni would be,' Fuli says. 'We had African, tangata whenua, Pasifika from all parts of Auckland in one place. That is a testament to her leadership.'
Leoni became Auckland's first wāhine Māori councillor in 2022. Now, she aims to take on the role of the city's first Māori woman mayor.
Boosting voter turnout in underrepresented communities is a predominant focus of her campaign.
'That is going to be a number one priority,' she says. 'Some parts of South Auckland are only at 19 or 22 per cent. We need to knock on every door and encourage people to do the special votes.
'If you have not received your papers, and you are not used to updating your address, you might not even know what voting papers look like.'
Endorsements from various leaders reflect excitement around Leoni's candidacy, highlighting her leadership qualities and the need for representation of Auckland's diverse population.
They emphasise the importance of listening to young voices in decision-making and striving for greater inclusion in the electoral process.
Former Minister for Auckland Judith Tizard supports Leoni's call to form an Auckland caucus, a cross-party group aimed at connecting councillors and MPs.
'We deserve a formal relationship for Auckland,' Tizard says. 'We are a third of the country. We need to work well.
'Only 37 percent of Aucklanders check their mail regularly. If you do not check your letterbox, you do not vote. And if you do not vote, you do not get change.'
Leoni says her team will integrate digital outreach with community organising. 'All our youth are on TikTok and Instagram. We need to be there too. We want every young person to vote in this election.'
Ōtara community leader Swannie Nelson described Leoni's candidacy as a source of pride. 'I am really excited to see a wāhine Māori running this year. Nothing against our tāne, but what an inspiration to ignite the dreams of our wāhine.'
Reflecting on past support for Collins, Nelson says, 'We gave our hearts to my brother, Efeso Collins. It is a privilege for us to carry on the mahi he started.
'We do not just back anyone. We love what our sister stands for. Go hard,' says the self-described queen of Ōtara.
Councillor Josephine Bartley echoed calls for strong leadership. 'We all saw what Efeso and his family endured when he ran. Kerrin is brave to put herself through the same thing. She is a wāhine toa.'.
Bartley says the diversity at Friday's event showcases the kind of leader Leoni is. 'That is what Auckland looks like. You have got to represent that. Keep your head up. Do not listen to the haters. They are all shit.'
Labour MP Willie Jackson acknowledges the weight of Leoni's decision to run. 'She will always be aligned with Māori. You cannot get away from us, Leoni.'
He recalled private conversations with both Collins and Leoni about the importance of leadership and representation in Auckland.
'Kerrin came to see me and asked what I thought about her standing. Efeso did the same. I told both of them it was too hard, too tough, but they did it anyway. That takes courage,' Jackson says.
Although Labour supports her run for council, Leoni is standing for mayor as an independent candidate.
Tāmaki Makaurau MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp is encouraging her. 'Every day is a campaign day. Believe in yourself. Believe in your whānau. Believe in the people who voted for you.'
Two rangatahi from Glen Innes opened the evening with a speech based on submissions to Auckland Council's Long-Term Plan. They called for free school lunches, access to te reo Māori, and a stronger youth voice in decision-making.
'See us, hear us, and believe we have the ability not only to survive but to thrive,' one says.
David Guo, chair of the SportHub Community Trust, spoke on behalf of several Chinese community associations.
'Kerrin has the heart, integrity and courage to lead Auckland into a future that values every vote and every person,' he says. 'As minorities, we must unite as a force.
Guo expressed pride in being joined by several representatives from the Chinese community. 'Our Asian community makes up a large part of Auckland's Eastern population, and we want to raise our voice.'
He says representatives from the Onehunga Chinese Association, the West Auckland Chinese Association, and the East Auckland Botany Association attended the launch, while others sent their apologies due to prior commitments.
Guo acknowledges Leoni's support for events like the Whau Chinese New Year Festival. 'Kerrin has actively supported that festival over the last eight years. Without her support, these events would not be possible.'
Leoni says her campaign will rely on grassroots momentum. 'We have more than 100 people in our campaign team. They will be out knocking on doors. I will take at least one day off a week to rest because this will be an active campaign across the city.'
With the election set for 11 October, she made her closing statement clear: 'This is just day one. But we are ready.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
6 hours ago
- Scoop
Five Countries Elected To Serve On UN Security Council
03 June They will serve through the end of 2027 on the UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. They will join the five non-permanent members elected last year – Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia – who will serve through 2026. The incoming members will succeed Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose terms end in December 2025. The Security Council has 15 members: five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – who hold veto power, and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for staggered two-year terms. Elections are held annually by secret ballot, with seats allocated by regional group. Candidates must secure a two-thirds majority in the 193-member General Assembly to be elected. Vote tally A total of 188 Member States participated in the election, which required only one round of balloting. In the African and Asia-Pacific group, Bahrain received 186 votes, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) garnered 183 votes, and Liberia received 181 votes, with one country abstaining. In the Eastern European group, Latvia received 178 votes while 10 countries abstained. In the Latin America and the Caribbean group, Colombia received 180 votes, with eight countries abstaining. Debut for Latvia Latvia will take a seat on the Council for the first time in its history. With the exception of Latvia, all the elected countries have previously served: Colombia seven times, the DRC twice, and Bahrain and Liberia once each. Regional groups The non-permanent seats on the Security Council are distributed according to four regional groupings: Africa and Asia; Eastern Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; and the Western European and other States group. This year's election filled five seats: two allocated to Africa, one to Asia-Pacific, one to Eastern Europe, and one to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Scoop
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer On The Longest Suspension In Parliament
She says the Privileges Committee process is not equipped to deal with the haka issue. Saturday Morning This week, Parliament took the unprecedented step of suspending both Te Pāti Māori leaders – Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi – for 21 days. Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days – but had also been punished with a 24-hour suspension on the day over a haka all three had performed in Parliament, against the Treaty Principles Bill, in November. It is against the rules of the House for members to leave their seats during a debate – which all three did. Ngarewa-Packer told Saturday Morning that the 21-day suspension, which was seven times harsher than any previous sanction an MP has faced, was not proportionate. 'I think the backlash from the public, nationally and internationally, validates that,' she said. Previously, the longest suspension for an MP had been three days, given to the former prime minister Robert Muldoon for criticising the speaker in the 1980s. While New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the duration of the suspension would have been lessened if the Te Pāti Māori MPs had apologised, Ngarewa-Packer said that was never requested by the Privileges Committee. 'What we have here is a situation where, and some are calling it Trumpism, we've been a lot more specific – we have an Atlas agenda that has not only crept in, it's stormed in on the shores of Aotearoa and some may not understand what that means, but this is just the extension of the attack on the treaty, on the attack on Indigenous voices. 'We made the point the whole way through when we started to see that they weren't going to be able to meet us halfway on anything, even a quarter of the way, on any of the requests for tikanga experts, for legal experts when we knew the bias of the committee.' Ngarewa-Packer added that the Privileges Committee process was not equipped to deal with the issue. 'We hit a nerve and we can call it a colonial nerve, we can call it institutional nerve… 'I think that this will be looked back on at some stage and say how ridiculous we looked back in 2025.' Ngarewa-Packer also added that the language from Peters during the debate on Thursday was 'all very deliberate' – 'and that's what we're contending with in Aotearoa'. 'Everyone should have a view but don't use the might of legislation and the power to be able to assert your racism and assert your anti-Māori, anti-Treaty agenda.' Peters had taken aim at Waititi on Thursday as 'the one in the cowboy hat' and 'scribbles on his face' in reference to his mataora moko. He said countless haka have taken place in Parliament but only after first consulting the Speaker. 'They told the media they were going to do it, but they didn't tell the Speaker did they?' Peters added that Te Pāti Māori were 'a bunch of extremists' and that 'New Zealand has had enough of them'. 'They don't want democracy, they want anarchy,' he said. 'They don't want one country, they don't want one law, they don't want one people.'
Scoop
7 hours ago
- Scoop
Suspended Te Pāti Māori MPs To Embark On National Tour
Te Pti Mori says it will continue to stand its ground as three MPs begin their record suspensions. , Political Reporter Te Pāti Māori says it will continue to stand its ground as three MPs begin their record suspensions. On Thursday night, Parliament dealt its harshest ever punishment by suspending co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for 21 days, and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke for seven. The trio were sanctioned for their actions during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill in November. Parliament's privileges committee deemed the haka the MPs performed could have 'intimidated' others. Government parties supported the recommended suspension. Labour agreed they should face some sanction, but disagreed with the length of time the committee had landed on. Speaking to media after their suspension was handed down, the MPs said they planned to use their time away from the House to organise. 'We're going to go home and show that we stood our ground,' Ngarewa-Packer said. The party now has the Regulatory Standards Bill in its sights, and will use its time away to encourage supporters to make submissions against it. Party president John Tamihere told Midday Report the party was feeling 'very chipper' and the co-leaders would embark on a national tour. 'What we've got to do is just get out on our streets, in all our pā up and down the country, activate, organise and that's where we're going now.' Accusing Parliament of being a 'very unhealthy place' for Māori, Tamihere said the MPs would apologise once it was made clear what they would be apologising for. 'If you're saying we should apologise for bringing the tikanga that displays our reo, which is the haka, into the House… see, we're not here to just appear for tourists. We're not here to start a rugby game, you know? 'We are here to display and practice who we are and what we are. We do that 24/7, and we don't do it because somebody says, 'No, when you walk in that Parliament you've got to stop being a Māori,' for goodness sake.' Waititi said there were 'many tools in the tikanga basket' when it came to opposing further legislation. 'It will be deemed, and probably sanctioned, by tipuna who guide us in our wairua, in our ngākau, and the people who guide us outside. They sent us in to be the unapologetic Māori voice. Māori voice means that everything that we have in our kete kōrero will be used.' He said Thursday's debate got 'pretty ugly and sad', referencing Winston Peters' 'scribble' jab at his mataora. 'I would be ashamed,' Waititi said. 'If I was his mokopuna, to look over those clips and to hear him denigrate not only something that was handed down by his ancestors, but also him as a future ancestor the legacy he will leave for his tamariki-mokopuna. I'm saddened by that, but also I feel ashamed that his family have to wear that legacy.' Peters agreed the debate was sad, though for different reasons – telling Morning Report Te Pāti Māori's behaviour was unprecedented and unforgivable. Disappointed by inevitable – former leader Te Ururoa Flavell, Te Pāti Māori co-leader from 2013 to 2018, said he was disappointed at the outcome, but it was inevitable. 'Māori and haka, that is part of who we are and what we do, as an expression of a message. No different to giving a speech in the House and pointing the finger at people. You sort of think, where's the consistency here?' he asked. 'Our people understand the protocols that go with various places. Our marae are run by tikanga and protocols about what you can and can't do. And we also know that there are consequences of actions, both for better or for worse. 'That's never an issue – the issue here is when you line it all up, you'd say that the three MPs were dealt with very, very harshly and unfairly.' Flavell said Parliament had come a long way from the days where MPs could not speak te reo in the House, but even that was hard fought for. He said Parliament allowed waiata and even Christmas carols, despite not being in the rules, but with an acceptance they were in the spirit of the occasion. 'Really, can we get to a point in time to accept that Māori are tangata whenua of this land? Can we not get to a time and have a conversation about actually accepting that kaupapa Māori is okay in this land and in the halls of Parliament, for goodness sake, and to allow it to happen on appropriate occasions?' Flavell said a debate about tikanga in the House was long overdue, but said any debate must run alongside education. 'I hope that we learn from the history and allow the debate to happen, but let's do it fairly, not in the sense of allowing every party to have their vehicle. That will move nothing, it will not move the dial, and we saw that yesterday, but allow actually, a debate to inform. 'Hopefully, the committee that's digging into the whole issue of the Treaty of Waitangi will raise some of those issues. But let's have the debate. Let's allow a discussion on kaupapa Māori within the halls of Parliament, and that, I believe, will go a long way to settle some of these grievances that will not only have come up in the past, but are likely to come up in the future.'
