Aupito William Sio | |
|---|---|
 Sio in 2020 | |
| 10thMinister for Courts | |
| In office 6 November 2020 – 1 February 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern Chris Hipkins |
| Preceded by | Andrew Little |
| Succeeded by | Rino Tirikatene |
| 13thMinister for Pacific Peoples | |
| In office 26 October 2017 – 1 February 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern Chris Hipkins |
| Preceded by | Alfred Ngaro |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Edmonds |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forMāngere | |
| In office 8 November 2008 – 14 October 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Taito Phillip Field |
| Succeeded by | Lemauga Lydia Sosene |
| Member of theNew Zealand Parliament forLabour party list | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 8 November 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Dianne Yates[n 1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1960 (age 64–65) Samoa |
| Nationality | Samoa, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University Carrington Polytechnic Institute[1] |
| Website | www |
Aupito Tofae Su'a William Sio (born 1960)[2] is a politician who became a member of theNew Zealand House of Representatives on 1 April 2008[3] for theLabour Party as alist MP. From the November2008 election to 2023, he represented theMāngere electorate.
Sio is aSamoan who was born inSamoa and came to New Zealand in 1969.[1] He has thematai (chieftain title) of Aupito from the Matatufu village of theLotofaga district on the island ofUpolu.[4] He belongs to the extended family called Aiga Sa Aupito, which he now heads, as his father, Aupito Pupu Sio, bestowed the title in a 'fa'aui le ula' from father to son.[5] Sio is aMormon[6] and has served as one of theirbishops.[citation needed] He is married with a family of adult and young children.[1]
While growing up in New Zealand during the 1970s, Sio and his family experienced a policedawn raid, which disproportionately targeted members of thePasifika communities. Sio recalled that he was personally traumatised by the raid and that his father, who had recently bought the house, was helpless.[7][8]
Sio served as aManukau City Councillor, representing theŌtaraward from 2001. SirBarry Curtis, theMayor of Manukau City, selected Sio as chair of the planning committee in November 2004. In October 2007, the newly elected Mayor of Manukau City,Len Brown, appointed Siodeputy mayor, making him the firstPasifika New Zealander to hold the position in Manukau City.[4]
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 48th | List | 47 | Labour | |
| 2008–2011 | 49th | Māngere | 24 | Labour | |
| 2011–2014 | 50th | Māngere | 17 | Labour | |
| 2014–2017 | 51st | Māngere | 14 | Labour | |
| 2017–2020 | 52nd | Māngere | 16 | Labour | |
| 2020–2023 | 53rd | Māngere | 20 | Labour | |
In the2005 parliamentary election Sio was ranked 47th on the Labour party list and failed to be elected by two places.[9] HoweverLabour Party list MPDianne Yates left theParliament on 29 March 2008,[10] and Sio was declared elected in her place (the person above him on the list,Louisa Wall, had already been declared elected to replaceAnn Hartley).[11][12]
Prior to entering Parliament, Sio was a representative on Labour's national council as Pacific Islands Vice-President.[13]
In the2008 general election Sio won theMāngere electorate, defeating the incumbent independent (and former Labour) MPTaito Phillip Field by 7,126 votes.[14] In the2011 and2014 elections, Sio's majority was approximately 15,000 votes.[15][16]
In 2013, Sio voted against theMarriage Amendment Bill, which aimed to permit same sex marriage in New Zealand, with fellow Labour MPsRino Tirikatene,Ross Robertson andDamien O'Connor, alongsideNew Zealand First, Brendan Horan (former New Zealand First MP), and 32 National MPs.[17] The Bill passed, becominglaw.
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Sio was re-elected during the2017 general election by a margin of 14,597 votes, defeatingNational Party candidateAgnes Loheni.[18] Following the formation ofLabour-led coalition government withNew Zealand First and theGreens, Sio was appointed as a Minister outside Cabinet by the Labour Party caucus.[19] On 26 October 2017, Sio was appointedMinister for Pacific Peoples, Associate Minister for Courts, and Associate Minister of Justice.[20]
During the2020 general election, Sio was re-elected in Māngere by a margin of 19,396 votes, defeating National's candidate Loheni.[21]
In early November, Sio became Minister for Courts, while retaining his Pacific Peoples ministerial portfolio. He also retained his associate justice portfolio while picking up the associateforeign affairs,education (Pacific Peoples), andhealth (Pacific Peoples) portfolios.[22]
AfterPrime MinisterJacinda Ardern confirmed that the New Zealand Government would apologise for the Dawn Raids of the 1970s and early 1980s, Sio gave an emotional testimony of his family's experiences with a dawn raid, stating that the apology restoredmana for the victims of these raids.[7][8]
In mid-December 2022, Sio announced that he would not be contesting the2023 New Zealand general election and would step down at the end of the 2020–2023 term. He attributed his resignation decision to his family andmatai (chiefly) responsibilities, stating that his job as a Member of Parliament was "all-consuming and relentless."[23][24] On 10 February 2023, Sio was granted retention of the title "The Honourable" for life, in recognition of his term as a member of theExecutive Council.[25]
Sio's stance against theMarriage Amendment Act, which allowed same-sex couple to marry, was not popular among his Labour colleagues. He justified his stance based the beliefs of many Pacific Islanders whom he represents.[26]
By 2019 Sio's views on LGBT issues had progressed. He was a supporter of Pasifika Pink Shirt Day 2019 for young people who identify as part of LGBT communities.[27]
In Sio's valedictory statement toNew Zealand Parliament on 22 August 2023 he said it is OK to be different. He encouraged Pacific young people to be proud of who they are, that it is OK to be a member of the rainbow community, and that it is OK to usenon-binary pronouns.[28]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)| New Zealand Parliament | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament for Māngere 2008–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister for Pacific Peoples 2017–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Courts 2020–2023 | Succeeded by |
