Arena Williams
MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Manurewa
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded byLouisa Wall
Personal details
Born1990 (age 33–34)
Political partyLabour
RelationsHaare Williams (father)
Alma materUniversity of Auckland
ProfessionLawyer
Websitewww.arenawilliams.co.nz

Arena Hinekura Sherburd Williams[1] (born 1990) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician. She has been a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Manurewa electorate since 2020.[2]

Early life, career and family

Williams is affiliated with Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāi Tahu.[3] Her parents are doctor Jacqueline Allan (Ngāi Tahu) and educator, broadcaster, and former Papakura city councillor Sir Haare Williams (Ngāi Tūhoe and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki).[1][4][5] She grew up in Papakura and spoke Māori as a child.[1]

Williams studied law and commerce at the University of Auckland, and was active within the Princes Street Labour. In 2012 she was president of the Auckland University Students' Association.[6] In 2012 she and other university students staged a campus protest to highlight the issue of rising student debt. The under-dressed students begged people passing on the street for clothing, graphically depicting how students have to "borrow to live".[7][8]

Williams began her career working as a probations officer in Panmure, encountering many people in the court system for relatively minor offences, prompting her advocacy for justice reform.[8] She also worked for law firm Chapman Tripp.[1]

She is married to lawyer Max Hardy, with whom she shares two children.[8]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–2023 53rd Manurewa 58 Labour
2023–present 54th Manurewa 48 Labour

Williams stood for the Hunua electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2014 election for the Labour Party where she placed second, losing to Andrew Bayly by the large margin of 17,376 votes.[9] Aged 24 she was Labour's youngest candidate at that election.[6]

In November 2019 Williams was appointed as a member of the Waitematā District Health Board.[10]

Williams as well as Ian Dunwoodie both nominated to challenge Louisa Wall for the Labour Party selection for the seat of Manurewa, one of the safest red seats in the country.[11] The selection was scheduled to be held on 21 March 2020, but was delayed due to a complaint about whether some new party electorate branch members lived in Manurewa and were eligible to vote in the selection process.[12] In May, Wall's partner and lawyer Prue Kapua contacted the national party council, claiming that Williams's application was late, and warned that legal action would be taken if it was not rejected.[13] The selection was rescheduled to 30 May, but Wall withdrew her application on 29 May, to instead run as a list-only candidate. Williams was selected as the Labour candidate.[14]

During the 2020 general election held on 17 October, she beat National candidate Nuwi Samarakone by a margin of 17,179 votes.[2][8][15][16] In her first term, Williams served as a member of the justice committee, Māori affairs committee (including as deputy chairperson and chairperson) and the Pae Ora legislation committee.[17]

She was re-elected in Manurewa at the 2023 general election, defeating National Party candidate Siva Kilari with an election night majority 7,113.[18]

In late November, Williams was appointed as Assistant Whip, and spokesperson for commerce and consumer affairs, building and construction, and state-owned enterprises in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[19]

Controversies

Kāinga Ora advertisement

In November 2021, the New Zealand social housing agency Kāinga Ora drew controversy after Newshub and Radio New Zealand reported that the agency had used Williams (a Labour Party candidate) in a taxpayer funded advertisement in 2020, compromising its political neutrality. Kāinga Ora drew criticism from Housing Minister Megan Woods and deputy Opposition Leader Nicola Willis on the grounds of professionalism and compromising its political neutrality.[20][21] Woods subsequently reported the agency to the Public Service Commission.[22] The National Party called for an investigation into Kāinga Ora, alleging a cover up and "culture of deceit."[21] Williams had informed Kāinga Ora of her political ambitions prior to the advertorial featuring her was paid for and published.[22]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Husband, Dale (5 September 2020). "Arena Williams: Making changes from the inside". E-Tangata. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". Newstalk ZB. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020 – via The New Zealand Herald.
  3. ↑ "Election 2020: PM Jacinda Ardern launches campaign to keep Māori seats". 2 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Husband, Dale (23 November 2019). "Haare Williams: A child of the community". E-Tangata. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "MP & mum Arena Williams: it's a labour of love". NZ Herald. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 Hunt, Elle (20 June 2014). "The next wave: Labour's Arena Williams". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "Naked students protest debt". Stuff. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Keogh, Brittany (18 October 2020). "Lawyer and new Labour MP for Manurewa Arena Williams to focus on justice reform". Stuff. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  9. ↑ Electoral Commission (10 October 2014). "Official Count Results – Hunua". Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Board meeting" (PDF). Waitematā District Health Board. 18 December 2019. p. 28. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Fonseka, Dileepa (12 February 2020). "Labour's Louisa Wall faces challenge for Manurewa selection". Newsroom. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  12. ↑ Young, Audrey (13 March 2020). "Labour delays Manurewa candidate selection to look at membership issues". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  13. ↑ Sachdeva, Sam (11 May 2020). "MP and Labour Party face court fight over Manurewa". Newsroom. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Labour's Louisa Wall pulls out of Manurewa selection". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Manurewa - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  16. ↑ Lynch, Jenna (6 November 2020). "NZ Election 2020: Judith Collins will 'definitely not' stand down as leader despite National's crushing defeat". Newshub. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "Williams, Arena - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Manurewa - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins reveals new shadow Cabinet". Radio New Zealand. 30 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  20. ↑ O'Brien, Tova (10 November 2021). "Kāinga Ora hid the fact it was using Labour candidate Arena Williams in taxpayer-funded advertising". Newshub. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  21. 1 2 "National Party wants investigation into Kāinga Ora". Radio New Zealand. 11 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  22. 1 2 Lynch, Jenna (11 November 2021). "Housing Minister Megan Woods dobs Kāinga Ora in to public service watchdog over cover-up". Newshub. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
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