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Lemauga Lydia Sosene

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Lemauga
Lydia Sosene
MP
Sosene in 2023
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Māngere
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 October 2023
Preceded byWilliam Sio
Majority8,385
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
In office
2 May 2022 – 14 October 2023
Preceded byLouisa Wall
Personal details
Born (1965-04-14) 14 April 1965 (age 59)
Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
SpouseAfoataga Sosene
Residence(s)Favona, Auckland

Lemauga Lydia Sosene (born 14 April 1965) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician. She was a member of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board from the October 2010 local elections until her election to the New Zealand House of Representatives in May 2022. After completing the balance of Louisa Wall's term as a list MP, Sosene was elected as MP for Māngere at the 2023 general election.

Personal life

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Sosene's parents both emigrated from Samoa to New Zealand in the 1950s. Her father was a founding minister of the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa (EFKS) in Ōtara. Sosene was born in South Auckland in 1965, where she grew up. At some point, her family lived in Henderson in West Auckland.[1] Married to Afoataga Sosene, they live in Favona.[1]

Political career

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Local government

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Sosene joined the Labour Party in 2000.[2] She was first elected to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board in the 2010 local elections. She was re-elected in the 2013 local elections and 2016 local elections. The board elected her chair in 2013 and returned her to that position in 2016 and 2019.[2][3][4] In her role as chair of the board, Sosene has spoken about the impact of overcrowded housing on Pasifika, and the benefit to Samoans in Auckland of a rise in the minimum wage.[5][6] She supported the extension of Auckland light rail through the Māngere town centre.[7][8] She resigned from the board in May 2022, following her election to Parliament.[9]

Member of Parliament

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2022–2023 53rd List 54 Labour
2023–present 54th Māngere 53 Labour

At the 2017 general election, Sosene was a list-only candidate placed 44th on the Labour Party list.[10] Labour did not win sufficient representation for Sosene to be elected.

At the 2020 general election, Sosene was again a list only candidate for the Labour Party, ranked 54th.[11] Although Labour won more than 63 seats, the election of twelve lower-ranked or unranked constituency candidates prevented Sosene's election at that time; however, she was still invited to participate in the new MP induction process while waiting for the special votes to be counted.[12] She was the highest-ranked Labour list candidate who was not elected at the general election, but she was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on 2 May 2022, following the resignation of list MP Louisa Wall.[13][14]

In 2023, Sosene won the Labour nomination for the safe Labour seat of Māngere, succeeding Aupito William Sio who retired.[15] On 14 October, she won the seat by a margin of 11,712 votes over National's Rosemary Bourke.[16]

On 30 November 2023, Sosene was appointed as spokesperson for Internal Affairs, associate Pacific Peoples, and associate Social Development and Employment in the Shadow Cabinet of Chris Hipkins.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Getting candid with ... Lemauga Lydia Sosene". Manukau Courier. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Lemauga Lydia Sosene". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  3. ^ Williamson, Jarred; Harrowell, Chris (14 November 2016). "Local boards: South Auckland chairs share their visions". Manukau Courier. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Lemauga Lydia Sosene delivers Parliamentary maiden statement — thecoconet.tv - The world's largest hub of Pacific Island content.uu". www.thecoconet.tv. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  5. ^ Faigaa, Paige (9 June 2020). "Impact of overcrowded housing on Pasifika 'concerning'". Pacific Media Network. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. ^ Mayron, Sapeer (15 January 2019). "Auckland-based Samoans to benefit from pay rise". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Māngere sends strong message on light rail: 'This is for us'". RNZ. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Government will pick up most of the $15b tab for Auckland light rail". NZ Herald. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Minutes of Māngere-ŌtāhuhuLocal Board - Wednesday, 18 May 2022". infocouncil.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Revised Labour Party List for the 2017 Election" (Press release). New Zealand Labour Party. Scoop. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Labour announces list for 2020 Election". NZ Labour Party. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  12. ^ Cheng, Derek (6 November 2020). "Election results 2020: Special votes – will National's hand weaken, the Māori Party remain, cannabis result flip?". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Labour MP Louisa Wall to resign". Radio New Zealand. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Declaration by Electoral Commission that Lemauga Lydia Sosene is elected a Member of Parliament". gazette.govt.nz. New Zealand Gazette. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Find your local candidate". NZ Labour Party. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Māngere - Official Result". Electoral Commission. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  17. ^ "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.
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