MANA MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9.10.2011

Mana Announces Four Candidates to Run in Auckland General Seats

MANA has chosen candidates from a range of backgrounds to contest general seats in Auckland.

You are invited to the launch of their campaigns, along with the announcement and launch of MANA’s candidate for The Tamaki Makaurau electorate, at Takaparawha the land occupied at Bastion Point in 1977-78, on Sunday 9th of October 2011 between 11 am and 1 PM.

Dr Richard Shortland Cooper is contesting the seat of Manurewa.

He is of Ngati Hine Nga Puhi and Pacific Island heritage and an active member of LDS Church.

After gaining his Doctorate in Fine Arts and spending 5 years as head of Art at Wananga O Aotearoa’s Manukau campus Richard was made redundant when the government drastically cut its funding forcing the wananga to restructure. This led to a career change and him working for the past 5years helping people with chronic illness such diabetes, gout and heart diseases.

He says his art tutor Buck Nin and Dr Rongo Wetere, Tumuaki of Te Wananga O Aotearoa always encouraged that in whatever he did he should give of his best to make a difference and help make our society a better place.

Barry Tumai of Maori and English decent will represent MANA in Otahuhu.

A longtime resident of South Auckland Barry was the taura-here representative for marae within South Auckland on Te Tiriti O Waitangi Committee .

A keen sportsman with particular interest in waka ama, rugby league and Touch, Barry who still competes at national and international level, says he intends to keep sharing the knowledge gained from playing and coaching sport.

He says MANA is the beginning of a great move for change for all peoples, all cultures and the workforce of New Zealand.

Trade unionist, peace activist and land rights activist Pat O’Dea affectionately known as “protest pat” by his workmates is standing in Epsom where he intends use the electorate as a base to attack the right –wing polices advocated by ACT.

“Their policies designed to appeal to red-neck elements are racist and need to be challenged head on and this is exactly what MANA’s policies and people will do,” Mr O’Dea says.

And James Papali’i of Samoan/ Irish decent who grew up in Mangere and has spent many years working as a social worker in South Auckland and lecturing in social work, youth work, and pacific studies at Auckland university.

Mr Papali’i says he has learned a number of lessons the hard way.

He has in recent years been employed as a mental health worker for Blue Dove and currently works as a kaitoko whanau worker for the Manukau Urban Maori Authority based at Nga Whare Waatea marae in Mangere and at MUMA in Papatoetoe.

They will join activist and trade unionist John Minto who has already announced his candidature in Manukau East to contest Auckland general seats where they will be emphasizing the importance of MANA gaining list votes to get a strong presence in the next parliament .

At present both James and Barry are in Brisbane promoting the MANA movement and will be available for interviews after their return on the 15 th October 2011.
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