William Sio

Su'a
William Sio
MP
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
In office
29 March 2008 – 8 November 2008
Preceded by Dianne Yates
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Māngere
Assumed office
8 November 2008
Preceded by Taito Phillip Field
Majority 14,933 in 2014
Personal details
Nationality Samoa, New Zealand
Political party Labour
Alma mater Brigham Young University
Carrington Polytechnic Institute[1]
Religion The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)[2]

Su'a William Sio is a politician who became a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives on 1 April 2008[3] for the Labour Party as a list MP. Since the 2008 election, he has represented the Māngere electorate.

Personal

A Samoan, Sio has the matai (chieftain title) of Su'a from the Matatufu village of the Lotofaga district on the island of Upolu.[4] Sio came to New Zealand in 1969.[1] He belongs to the extended family called Aiga Sa Aupito headed by the High Chief Aupito, a matai title currently held by his father. Sio is married with a family of adult and young children.[1] He is a Mormon[2] and has previously served as one of their bishops.

Local politics

Sio had served as a Manukau City Councillor, representing the Ōtara ward from 2001. Sir Barry Curtis, the Mayor of Manukau, selected Sio as chair of the planning committee in November 2004. In October 2007, the newly elected Mayor of Manukau, Len Brown, appointed Sio deputy mayor, making him the first Pacific Islander to hold this position in Manukau City.[4]

National politics

Parliament of New Zealand
Years Term Electorate List Party
2008 48th List 47 Labour
2008–2011 49th Māngere 24 Labour
2011–2014 50th Māngere 17 Labour
2014–present 51st Māngere 14 Labour

In the 2005 parliamentary elections Sio was ranked 47th on the Labour party list and failed to be elected by two places.[5] However Labour Party list MP Dianne Yates left the Parliament on 29 March 2008,[6] and Sio was declared elected in her place (the person above him on the list, Louisa Wall, had already been declared elected to replace Ann Hartley).[7][8]

In the 2008 general election Sio won the Māngere electorate, defeating the incumbent independent (and former Labour) MP Taito Phillip Field by 7,126 votes.[9] In the 2011 and 2014 elections, Sio's majority was circa 15,000 votes.[10][11]

Gay and lesbian marriage

Sio's stance against the Marriage Amendment Bill, which would raise civil unions to the same status as marriage, has not been popular among his Labour colleagues. He justifies his stance based the beliefs of many Pacific Islanders whom he represents.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Su'a William Sio". New Zealand Parliament. 11 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Latter-day Saint Member of Parliament Speaks to Interfaith Group" (Press release). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  3. ↑ New Zealand Parliament (1 April 2008). "Members Sworn". TheyWorkForYou.co.nz. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Su'a William Sio". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  6. ↑ New Zealand Parliament (1 April 2008). "Resignations: Dianne Yates, NZ Labour". TheyWorkForYou.co.nz. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  7. ↑ "Labour MPs make way for newcomers". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 16 October 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
  8. ↑ New Zealand Parliament (1 April 2008). "List Member Vacancy". TheyWorkForYou.co.nz. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  9. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Māngere". Chief Electoral Office. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Māngere". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  11. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Māngere". Electoral Commission. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  12. ↑ Weekes, John (28 October 2012). "MPs attend protest against gay marriage". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Taito Phillip Field		 Member of Parliament for Māngere
2008–present 		Incumbent
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