Priyanca Radhakrishnan outlines priority list for Maungakiekie if elected again

Priyanca Radhakrishnan, a Kiwi-Indian list MP, has been confirmed as the New Zealand Labour Party candidate for the Maungakiekie at the 2026 general election.

“We have so much to fight for-an accessible, inclusive Aotearoa NZ where everyone can live with dignity; a productive economy that benefits everyone & not just the few at the top,” she shared in a Facebook and Instagram post on 25 November 2025.

“As a Parliamentarian of Indian origin I continue to advocate strongly on issues that matter to our Indian communities,” Radhakrishnan told The Indian Weekender.

Speaking to The Indian Weekender, Radhakrishnan shared what she hopes to do differently if elected again. She said one of the highlights of being the MP for Maungakiekie was the different challenges she helped locals navigate.

“So many people who came to my electorate office needed support with immigration, accessing housing and engaging with different government agencies. I advocated strongly and successfully for so many of them and I look forward to doing that again if elected as the MP for Maungakiekie,” she shared.

Radhakrishnan also said she supported schools, businesses and community organisations facing difficulties, and advocated on their behalf.

Radhakrishnan said she has worked towards holding the Government to account for changes made over the last two years “that have harmed so many disabled people and carers.”

“As a result of collective action, some of those changes have since been reversed,” she explained.

“However, there’s still more work to be done to ensure that disabled people have more choice and control over the services they access,” she added.

As the Opposition spokesperson for Conservation, Radhakrishnan said she has been a strong advocate for the environment and has been vocal about the various decisions “the government has made that will negatively impact biodiversity and the environment more broadly.”

Outlining her priorities for the campaign, Radhakrishnan said, “the current government campaigned in 2023 to fix the cost of living crisis and they have failed to deliver. So many people are struggling to see a doctor, to afford the basics in life and we’re seeing record numbers of people leave New Zealand because they don’t see any opportunities here for them.”

“National [took] three years to get it right and they have made things worse,” she added.

Radhakrishnan emphasised that Labour has a “clear plan to take real action on cost of living, to ensure that people have secure jobs that pay decent wages; that everyone can access healthcare when they need it and that everyone has a place to call home that is safe, warm and affordable”.

She said she will use the campaign trail to speak to voters about how a Labour government, and a local Labour MP,  would work for families and communities.

Radhakrishnan has previously spoken about her Indian heritage in an interview with The Indian Weekender.

“ I was born in Chennai, India but my family is from Kerala. I grew up in Singapore, but used to go back to India every year over the school holidays,” she told The Indian Weekender in 2014.

She entered politics in 2006 and later joined the Labour Party, saying she wanted to be a strong voice for ethnic communities in Parliament.