Latest news with #trailblazer
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini, 'a trailblazer' for Vanuatu women in politics, has died
Motarilavoa Hilda Lini, a pioneering Ni-Vanuatu politician, has died. Lini passed away at the Port Vila General Hospital on Sunday, according to local media. Lini was the first woman to be elected to parliament in 1987 as a member of the National United Party. She went on to become the country's first female minister in 1991 after being appointed as the Minister for Health and Rural Water Supplies. She held several ministerial portfolios until the late 1990s, serving three terms in parliament. She is the sister of the late Father Walter Lini, who is regarded as the country's founding father. She was a chief of the Turaga nation of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. "On behalf of the government, we wish to extend our deepest condolences to the Lini family for the passing of late Motarilavoa Hilda Lini — one of the first to break through our male-dominated parliament during those hey days," the Vanuatu Ministry for the Prime Minister said in a statement on Monday. "She later championed many causes, including a Nuclear Free Pacific. Rest in Peace soldier, for you have fought a great fight." In a condolence message posted on Facebook, Vanuatu's Speaker Stephen Dorrick Felix Ma Au Malfes said Lini was "a trailblazer who paved the way for women in leadership and politics in Vanuatu". "Her courage, dedication and vision inspired many and have left an indelible mark on the history of our nation. "As Vanuatu continues to grow and celebrate its independence, her story and contributions will forever be remembered and honoured. She has left behind a legacy filled with wisdom, strength, and cherished memories that we will carry with us always. Vanuatu human rights women's rights advocate Anne Pakoa said Lini was a "Pacific hero". "She was a woman of integrity, a prestigious, wise and yet very humble woman leader," Pakoa wrote in a Facebook post. Port Vila MP Marie Louise Milne, the third woman to represent the capital in parliament after the late Lini and the late Maria Crowby, said "Lini was more than a leader". "She was a pioneer… serving our country with strength, dignity, and an unshakeable commitment to justice and peace. She carried her chiefly title with pride, wisdom, and purpose, always serving with the voice of a true daughter of the land," Milne said. "I remember her powerful presence at the Independence Day flag-raising ceremonies, calling me 'Marie Louise' in her firm, commanding tone — a voice that resonated with leadership and care. "Though I am not in Port Vila to pay my last respects in person, I carry her memory with me in my heart, in my work, and in my prayers. My thoughts are with the Lini family and all who mourn this national loss." She said Lini's legacy lives on in every woman who rises to serve, in every Ni-Vanuatu who believes in justice and unity. "She will forever remain a symbol of strength for Vanuatu and for all Melanesian women." Motarilavoa Hilda Lini will be buried in North Pentecost on Tuesday. RNZ
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Sussan Ley opens up on final moments with her mum before she died after watching her daughter become the first woman to become Liberal leader
Sussan Ley has shared how she spent her final moments with her mother, who passed days after she made history as the Liberal Party's first female leader. Angela Braybrooks, 93, spent her last days in palliative care and surrounded by family before passing on Saturday. Following her election to Opposition Leader on Tuesday, Ley rushed to the hospital in Albury, on the NSW and Victorian border, to be with her mother. 'When I got home, her eyes sort of lit up when she saw me,' Ley told the Sunday Telegraph. Ley was born in Nigeria as a British citizen and spent her early years in the Middle East where her father worked in military intelligence. While most wives at the time stuck to their traditional roles as home makers, Ley recalled her mother constantly at work. Ms Braybrooks ran a daycare, opened a library in their house and trained as a nurse when their family settled in Australia. Ley proudly calls her mother her role model and told her such in their last moments together. 'I held her hand, I talked to her about life and things we've been through together, and I hope she hears,' Ley said. 'It's a good opportunity to reflect on all things that she did in her life, because my mum was a bit of a trailblazer.' The Opposition Leader shared news of her mother's passing in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday. 'In the very early hours of this morning, my mother, Angela Braybrooks, passed away here in Albury,' Ley wrote. 'My family and I feel this loss deeply. 'We express our deep appreciation to the staff at Riverwood Aged Care facility for the quality care provided to Angela. In her final moments, she was comfortable and at peace. 'Mum was a mental health nurse who helped so many people through her life. She taught me the values of resilience, self-reliance and persistence.' Ley said when Ms Braybrooks grew up in wartime Britain she 'could never have dreamed that her daughter would become Australia's first female Leader of the Opposition, but because of her, that happened this week'. She said on Monday night a priest had urged her mother to 'hang on' so she could see one more special moment in her daughter's life, promising her, 'we'll have champagne tomorrow'. 'On Tuesday, hours after I was afforded the enormous privilege by my Liberal colleagues of leading our party, I drove back down the Hume Highway to be at her bedside,' Ley said. 'Whilst mum was no longer verbal, she watched every moment of my press conference. As I walked back into her room that afternoon, her eyes lit up with excitement. It was a moment I will treasure, forever.' On Tuesday, Ley won a 29-25 vote against Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor to replace Peter Dutton. Shadow Energy Minister Ted O'Brien was elected as deputy leader, with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price - who was aligned with Mr Taylor - dropping out of the contest shortly before the poll. Ley, 63, is one of the Liberal Party's most-experienced hands, having served as a Cabinet minister under the Coalition's past three prime ministers - Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. A former commercial pilot, farmer and public servant, she has held the rural seat of Farrer in NSW's south-west since the retirement of her long-serving predecessor and former National Party leader and deputy prime minister Tim Fischer. Ley famously changed the spelling of her first name from 'Susan' to 'Sussan' in her 20s after exploring numerology. She believed that adding an extra 's' would make her life 'incredibly exciting' and ensure 'nothing would ever be boring'. Ley is a mother-of-three and had the support of the party's moderates, with some believing a woman at the helm will help win back female voters.
