Winnie Laban

Luamanuvao Dame Winifred Alexandra Laban Template:Post-nominals (born 14 August 1955) is a former New Zealand politician. She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Mana electorate, representing the Labour Party, and was the Labour Party's spokesperson for Pacific Island Affairs and for interfaith dialogue. Laban is the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and is a respected leader in the local Pasifika community.

Early life

Laban was born in Wellington on 14 August 1955 to Samoan parents, Ta'atofa Kenneth Laban and Emi Tunupopo.<ref name="Whos who">Template:Cite book</ref> Laban's maternal grandfather, Fauono Tunupopo Patu had been a member of the Samoan Legislative Assembly before independence in 1962, and on her paternal side her grandfather, Leutele Va’afusuaga Poutoa, served as a member of the first independent government of Samoa and was the Minister of Lands in that first democratically elected Samoan government.<ref name=Husband1>Template:Cite web</ref>

Her parents were public servants in Samoa at the time they emigrated in 1954 to take up government positions in Wellington, New Zealand and also to ensure that any children they had gained New Zealand citizenship.<ref name=Husband1/><ref name= Macdonald>Template:Cite web</ref> Laban grew up in Wainuiomata with her younger brother Ken Laban, who subsequently served as a policeman, a community worker, sports commentator and as a local body politician.<ref name="migrant parents">Template:Cite web</ref>

She was educated at Erskine College, and Wellington Girls' College from 1969 to 1971.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>School Ties: Wellington Girls' College alumnae newsletter. Issue 16, December 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2013.</ref>

After leaving school, she worked as a family therapist and community development worker, for the Māori Affairs Department where she focused particularly on the Pasifika community of New Zealand.<ref name= Macdonald/>

Kara Puketapu the head of the Māori Affairs Department encouraged her to formally study social work, using an admission provision for the entry of over-20s.<ref name= Macdonald /> Laban graduated with a diploma in social work from the Victoria University of Wellington,<ref name="Whos who"/> and later in development studies from Massey University.<ref name="Whos who"/>

She later worked as a probation officer.<ref name= Macdonald/>

In 1981 she was involved in protests against the Springbok Tour of New Zealand.<ref name= Macdonald/>

Member of Parliament

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When she was 34 she was asked by Sonja Davies to stand for parliament but had declined as she couldn't stomach the policies known as “Rogernomics” that the Labour government was implementing at the time.Template:Citation needed

Laban changed her mind when in 1998 at the age of 44, she took a weeping call from an uncle who worked at Wainuiomata's Kensons car part factory which was closing without warning or any redundancy being offered to the 100 workers who were losing their jobs.<ref name= Macdonald />

What I saw was people from Wainui, mainly men, who just looked as though the life had been knocked out of them. A job is also about mana… The first thing I thought – I don’t want New Zealand to lose her heart.{{#if:|

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Outraged by the impact of the closing and the 1991 Employment Contracts Act on Māori, Pacific Island and Pākehā working-class people coupled with the desire of many in the Pacific community to have a woman representing them in Parliament she put herself forward as a candidate for the Labour Party.<ref name= Macdonald/><ref name=Husband2>Template:Cite web</ref>

Laban was first elected to Parliament in the 1999 election as a list MP, becoming New Zealand's first Pacific Island woman MP. In the 2002 election she successfully contested the Mana electorate, formerly held by Labour MP Graham Kelly. In 2005 she was re-elected by a majority of 6,734 votes<ref name="elect_result_mana">Template:Cite web</ref> She was Minister of Pacific Island Affairs (5 November 2007 – 19 November 2008).<ref name="Parliamentary bio">Template:Cite web</ref> Labour was defeated in the 2008 election, depriving Laban of her ministerial role, but Laban retained her electorate seat and most of her majority.<ref name="2008 Mana results">Template:Cite web</ref>

In December 2009 her Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Bill, which would grant greater rights to the families of those seeking or undergoing treatment, was drawn from the member's ballot.<ref name=mentalhealthbill>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The bill was defeated at its first reading.<ref name=mentalhealthbill/>

On 10 August 2010 Laban announced she would resign from Parliament to take up a position as an assistant vice-chancellor at Victoria University of Wellington,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> leading to a by-election in the Mana electorate. She ceased being a member of parliament on 15 October 2010.<ref name="Parliamentary bio" />

Patronage and memberships

In 2008 she was made Patron of the Cancer Society Relay for Life.<ref name=GG>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013 she was made a Patron of the Wainuiomata Pasifika Education Success Initiative.<ref name=GG/> She was chair of the Pacific Arts Committee from 2013 to 2014. She was appointed to the Creative New Zealand Arts Council in 2014.<ref name=GG/> She has been a member of the National University of Samoa Council since 2012 and the Institute of Judicial Studies Board since 2011.<ref name=GG/> Since 2017 she has been a member of the Australasian Association for Institutional Research, the New Zealand Institute of Directors, the Commissioner of Police's National Pacific Advisory Forum, and an Auditor for the Academic Quality Agency for New Zealand Universities.<ref name=GG/>

Her husband Peter Swain coauthored the memoir of longtime Prime Minister of Samoa Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Honours

In 1992, Laban was bestowed the Samoan matai chiefly title Luamanuvao from the village of Vaiala, Vaimauga, in recognition of her work.<ref name="Whos who"/> In the 2011 New Year Honours, she was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for services as a Member of Parliament.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to education and the Pacific community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the 2020 Women of Influence Awards in New Zealand, Laban received a lifetime achievement award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023, Laban received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Samoa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Official Labour Party page

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