Candidates push back on ACT's plan to abolish 'done nothing' Pacific ministry

ACT Party candidate Henrietta Devoe is standing by her call to abolish the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP), questioning whether it has delivered for Pasifika communities.

Devoe made the comments during last week's Pacific Media Network (PMN) debate, which brought together Pasifika representatives from across the political parties.

Debate moderator PMN's William Terite asked the candidates whether the MPP "should remain".

Devoe was the only candidate to say it should not, arguing the ministry had failed to deliver for Pacific people.

"I'd just like to say I raised my kids in Ōtara, and honestly, what has it done for the people? Like, what has it done? Really? Nothing," Devoe said.

"The Ministry for Pacific Peoples has done nothing for Pacific Islanders."

Devoe's comments are not a new position for ACT, which has long-called for MPP to be abolished.

Back in 2023, ACT leader David Seymour controversially said he fantasised about sending a "guy called Guy Fawkes in there and it'd all be over, but we'll probably have to have a more formal approach than that".

But Devoe's comments were rejected by several other candidates, who described them as "insulting".

"I think that's a really insulting thing to say," Opportunities Party candidate Romeo Tevaga said. "In terms of the public servants who work at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, how do you think they achieve Language Weeks, which are really important to our identity, language and culture?"

"We're not just any other population," Green Party candidate Teanau Tuiono added.

Labour's Jenny Salesa also pushed back.

"I absolutely disagree with [Devoe's comments]," Salesa said.

"I think that's a really insulting thing to say. Very insulting. Why should we get rid of the ministry now when we have this many people?"

'Focus on need, not race' - Devoe

Devoe has since told RNZ Pacific that she stands by her comments, pointing to the experiences of her own whānau.

"My husband and I raised our children in Ōtara - our daughter was the first in our family to attend university gaining two degrees and is now a lawyer, while our son has completed his commerce degree and works fulltime," she said.

She said that reflected the "legacy that our Pacific families came to New Zealand for".

"Risking everything to build a better life for generations to come. That's the legacy that unlocks Pacific potential everywhere.

"I support ACT's plan to abolish the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and build a smaller, accountable government. Health, education and housing agencies should meet people's needs and deliver results.

"I'm tired of Pacific people being used as a political football or portrayed as needing more help than others. Do you know how insulting that is? That our kids supposedly need special treatment. Every community has needs."

She added that governments needed to offer support based on need rather than race.

"Every community has needs - the government should focus on need, not race. I don't need a ministry in Wellington to tell me to be proud of my culture, and I certainly don't need one telling me what my people are capable of achieving."

Guided by priority communities

The MPP said it would not respond to the views of individual political candidates, but said its work was directly guided by priorities identified by Pacific communities.

MPP secretary Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone said these included education, health, housing, economic development and Pacific languages.

"Our work is guided by the priorities our communities have consistently told us matter most: education, health, housing, economic development and Pacific languages, as outlined in our Delivering for Pacific Communities Strategy," Clifford-Lidstone said.