Fiji's 50th Independence Day celebrations in Waiwera

I attended a great event on Saturday night when the Fijian community celebrated their 50th anniversary of Independence Day in the Sugarloaf in Waiwera. Lorayne Ferguson, Labour candidate for Whangaparaoa also attended with some of her team.

I was asked to address the 250-300 strong crowd as the MP present and as it was also Fiji language week, I started with their traditional greeting: Ni Sa Bula vinaka. I started my speech saying that Fiji has a special place in my heart as it’s the place I got married 21 years ago, and where my parents renewed their vows for their 40 year wedding anniversary.

For some history on the Fijian diaspora in New Zealand and how the 100,000-odd strong Fijian diaspora settled here:

The New Zealand Labour Party has had a historically strong relationship with our Fijian communities here and we continue to. I spoke at the event about the time the New Zealand Labour Party was in Government in 1987 - when the first of Fijis military coups took place. Many Fijians tried to flee the persecution and racism. Prior to this the New Zealand Labour Government had introduced a visa free policy for Fiji. So this allowed many Fijians to flee the military and come to New Zealand. And then the Labour Government, led by Hon David Lange, kept extending the visas for Fijians. Until they managed to stay on in New Zealand legally. This is how most of the early Fijian diaspora got to New Zealand.

I spoke on the many things we have done in government in our first term for Pacific communities like promoting pacific languages, valuing the Pacific economy and the recent announcement of the Community COVID-19 Fund to support the Pacific communities in their recovery.

There were great performances, conversation, kava and a lovo feast.

-Marja Lubeck Labour List MP based in Rodney, Auckland.

Lubeck (left) with Mikaele Vakaloloma (centre), and Naca Yalimaiwai. Vakaloloma migrated to New Zealand 10 years ago, lives in Orewa and is a field manager at Visionstream. Yalimaiwai is the Trustee and Governance Board member of The Fono, a Pasifika-based charitable trust providing affordable medical, dental, social services, education and whanau ora services across five locations in Auckland, primarily focussing on Pasifika and Maori communities. He is also a known Fijian community leader and past President of Fiji Community of Auckland.