Photo: Supplied / Efeso Collins
First time Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins is "elated and humbled" to make it into New Zealand's Parliament.
"Deeply satisfying, gratifying for our family," Fa'anānā said.
Fa'anānā is a chiefly title. It was bestowed upon him from his mum's village in Samoa.
"Our family back home were very quick to ring and just offer their congratulations and their deep sense of pride for us," he said.
He took a break from local-politics following what he calls a "devastating" loss in the Auckland mayoral race.
But now the Samoan-Tokelauan politician is back - this time on the national stage.
"I think it's important that we continue to have a strong bold Pasifika voice going into parliament," Fa'anānā said.
2022 Auckland mayoral race: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, left, and Fa'anānā Efeso Collins. Photo: Ricky Wilson / Stuff
Fa'anānā has just wrapped up induction week in Parliament. He said he has a fire in his belly ready to fight from the opposition benches.
A fire, fuelled by family: he sent a quick selfie to his mum from Parliament last week. His cousin called him to say his mum is beyond proud.
"My mum couldn't stop crying and how deeply moved she was that her son was able to get to that place to speak for her," he explained.
"My mum was a cleaner at Middlemore Hospital for over 14 years. And now her son will be speaking up for this community in this chamber."
He said his family and many Pacific people have been deeply connected to the NZ Labour Party but for him the Greens is the only party which encompasses his hopes and ambitions.
"I wanted to work at speed," he said.
"I didn't just want to tinker on the edges, which is what I believe we were doing previously."
Fa'anānā Efeso Collins taking a picture to send to his mum on induction week. "My mum couldn't stop crying and how deeply moved she was that her son was able to get to that place to speak for her," Fa'anānā said. Photo: Supplied/ Fa'anānā Efeso Collins
Lessons learned
He said he has learnt a lot from the experience of running for mayor, another race he lost, but the difference this time is he can hold National and ACT to account.
"I'm saddened by the fact that we will be an opposition," Fa'anānā said.
He said it was now up to those on the opposition benches to stand up for Pasifika communities.
"I'm extremely anxious about the possibility that there will be one Pacific person in this government," he said.
Representation is important because "if you can't see it, you can't be it," he said.
In his year or so off, he had the chance to "hang out" with his daughters - a small joy many politicians do not have.
In the simplicity of school drop-off and pick-up, he was reminded by his eldest daughter what is most important in life: "We, as the adults in the room, have to do everything possible to leave behind a planet that is going to survive and sustain the hopes and dreams of my daughters and their friends at school," he said.
He explained what his 11-year-old and her mates talk about in the playground.
"They're thinking about the future, and my daughter comes home all the time and says, 'Dad, we've got to walk more, we can't use a car, it's good that we're catching the bus'."
Health and climate action are both serious issues for his eldest daughter and now for Fa'anānā Efeso Collins as a Greens MP.
First time Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins with his wife at a polling booth. Photo: Supplied/ Fa'anānā Efeso Collins
