Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki

Anahila Lose Kanongata'a JP (born 1969) is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.

Anahila Kanongata'a
MP JP
Kanongata'a in August 2017
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
Assumed office
23 September 2017
Personal details
Born1969 (age 53–54)
Tonga
Political partyLabour
Children4
Alma materUniversity of Auckland

Early life and career

Kanongata'a-Suisuiki was born in Tonga. When she was a child her single mother went to work in New Zealand, leaving her children in the custody of her father. When her mother and stepfather became permanent residents, she came to New Zealand in 1980 and settled in a state house in Onehunga.[1] Kanongata'a-Suisuiki later worked as a senior executive at the Ministry of Social Development and was on the national executive of P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Incorporated.[2]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2017–2020 52nd List 37 Labour
2020–2023 53rd List 44 Labour

Kanongata'a-Suisuiki stood for election unsuccessfully at both the 2011 election and 2014 election as a list-only candidate.[3][4] She stood again at the 2017 election and was elected via Labour's party list. She was placed 37 on the party list.[5]

In 2019, Kanongata'a-Suisuiki served on the Abortion Legislation Committee which considered the Abortion Legislation Act, that proposed eliminating most legal restrictions on abortion in New Zealand.[6] She opposed the bill during all three readings of the bill in Parliament, which subsequently passed into law in March 2020.[7][8][9]

In the 2020 New Zealand general election, she contested the Papakura electorate, challenging Judith Collins, the Leader of the Opposition.[10] Kanongata'a-Suisuiki lost to Collins by a final margin of 5,583 votes.[11] However, she returned to Parliament on the Labour Party list.[12]

In March 2021, Kanongata'a-Suisuiki voted against the proposed Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Act 2022, claiming that the creation of safe areas around abortion providers amounted to the "erosion of freedom of expression."[13] She also voted against the bill during its second and third readings in 2022.[14][15]

References
  1. "Meet the backbencher: Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki". The New Zealand Herald. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  2. "National Executive". P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Inc. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  3. "Labour Party List 2011" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. Scoop. 10 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  4. "Labour List for the 2014 Election Announced" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. Scoop. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  5. "Revised Labour Party List for the 2017 Election". Scoop. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  6. Rosenberg, Matthew (8 October 2019). "Abortion bill: Emotions run high at select committee hearing in Auckland". Stuff. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  7. Walls, Jason (8 August 2019). "How Members of Parliament voted in the first reading of the Abortion Legislation Bill". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  8. Cheng, Derek (3 March 2020). "Abortion law reform passes next parliamentary hurdle comfortably". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  9. "Abortion Legislation Bill — Third Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  10. Forbes, Steve (27 July 2020). "Election 2020: Labour backbencher's David and Goliath battle with 'Crusher' Collins". The New Zealand Herald.
  11. "Papakura – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  12. "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result Successful Candidates". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  13. Small, Zane (12 March 2021). "How MPs voted on law change that would allow safe zones around abortion clinics". Newshub. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  14. "Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill — Second Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 16 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  15. "Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion (Safe Areas) Amendment Bill — Third Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
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