Know your candidate: Roshni Sami, Internet-Mana Party
From past three issues we have been bringing you this section where we introduce ethnic- Indian candidates who are contesting in these general reactions. Advance and overseas voting starts from September 3rd and September 20th is the main voting day where you decide the fate of country. As you gear up for elections, here are we bringing you a profile of different candidates from different political houses and what do they think about the community. We asked these candidates same questions to which they responded as follows.
So now it’s your turn to use your party vote and choose the best one.
Roshni Sami, Internet-Mana Party
Which constituency are you competing from?
I am standing in Kelston electorate
How long have you been with the party?
I joined the Internet Party on 29th May when Laila Harré was announced as party leader.
We would like to know more about your family and your profession. (Where are you from, who are there in your family)
My father is Indo-Fijian and my mother is a Kiwi. They met while both studying at Auckland University. My parents are now divorced. I am engaged, my partner is Indian.I am trained as a policy researcher, I have a BCom/BA and MA from the University of Auckland. I worked for approximately 6 years in the Pacific doing work for development agencies such as UNWomen, AusAID and other not-for-profits. When I came back to NZ I worked in property for 3 years. My father was in computers – IBM, he now focuses on property development. My mother runs her own business exporting to the Pacific.
How did you develop interest in politics?
I have always had a strong sense of what is right and wrong; and a strong desire to speak up about those things – I still do! My mother always encouraged me to follow my interests, I studied Politics at University and then went to connect with my heritage and work in the Development
sector in the Pacific and spend time with my father and grandmother.
On my Indian side – we were indentured labourers to Fiji, basically slaves under the British administration. In contrast to my parents and grandparents, I have had a very different life, we celebrate multicultural NZ now, racism is frowned upon – in any case I can almost pass for Pakeha with my pale skin and middle class NZ upbringing, I grew up speaking English I have studied, I am confident.
I see it as four generations of work to reach this level of gender-equity and socio-economic well-being from the streets of Chennai and Kolkata when my great-grandparents got on boats to Fiji hoping for a better life. So for all that have gone before me I must do everything I can to make this a more just and egalitarian society, for everyone. For this election I was only inspired to get involved because of Laila Harré, I am working to win party vote to get her into parliament, I believe we need her vision and leadership in parliament.
If won in elections, what would be your main focus? What do you expect to do for the Indian Community in New Zealand?
My main interest is in education and the economy in New Zealand for all people Indians, Maoris,
Pakehas - everyone. We have had a lack of economic vision and leadership and many people are suffering because they are underpaid or unemployed. I strongly believe there needs to be investment in the establishment of an innovative digital economy to parallel NZ’s excellence in agriculture, and create more secure high value jobs. This must also be met with strong investment in education, which is why we have a free tertiary education policy.
Both of these require focused political leadership to be achieved, right now most people do not even believe free tertiary education is possible, but that is not the case. There is a serious problem with a widening gap between rich and poor which stifles innovation, also economies with a wide income gap tend to have slower growth. Increasing minimum wage to living wage will boost local business through increased spending and create more jobs (as past wage increases have shown) as well as addressing social inequities. I want to see a vibrant educated NZ full of opportunities for everyone, men and women, people of all races.
From past three issues we have been bringing you this section where we introduce ethnic- Indian candidates who are contesting in these general reactions. Advance and overseas voting starts from September 3rd and September 20th is the main voting day where you decide the fate of country. As you...
From past three issues we have been bringing you this section where we introduce ethnic- Indian candidates who are contesting in these general reactions. Advance and overseas voting starts from September 3rd and September 20th is the main voting day where you decide the fate of country. As you gear up for elections, here are we bringing you a profile of different candidates from different political houses and what do they think about the community. We asked these candidates same questions to which they responded as follows.
So now it’s your turn to use your party vote and choose the best one.
Roshni Sami, Internet-Mana Party
Which constituency are you competing from?
I am standing in Kelston electorate
How long have you been with the party?
I joined the Internet Party on 29th May when Laila Harré was announced as party leader.
We would like to know more about your family and your profession. (Where are you from, who are there in your family)
My father is Indo-Fijian and my mother is a Kiwi. They met while both studying at Auckland University. My parents are now divorced. I am engaged, my partner is Indian.I am trained as a policy researcher, I have a BCom/BA and MA from the University of Auckland. I worked for approximately 6 years in the Pacific doing work for development agencies such as UNWomen, AusAID and other not-for-profits. When I came back to NZ I worked in property for 3 years. My father was in computers – IBM, he now focuses on property development. My mother runs her own business exporting to the Pacific.
How did you develop interest in politics?
I have always had a strong sense of what is right and wrong; and a strong desire to speak up about those things – I still do! My mother always encouraged me to follow my interests, I studied Politics at University and then went to connect with my heritage and work in the Development
sector in the Pacific and spend time with my father and grandmother.
On my Indian side – we were indentured labourers to Fiji, basically slaves under the British administration. In contrast to my parents and grandparents, I have had a very different life, we celebrate multicultural NZ now, racism is frowned upon – in any case I can almost pass for Pakeha with my pale skin and middle class NZ upbringing, I grew up speaking English I have studied, I am confident.
I see it as four generations of work to reach this level of gender-equity and socio-economic well-being from the streets of Chennai and Kolkata when my great-grandparents got on boats to Fiji hoping for a better life. So for all that have gone before me I must do everything I can to make this a more just and egalitarian society, for everyone. For this election I was only inspired to get involved because of Laila Harré, I am working to win party vote to get her into parliament, I believe we need her vision and leadership in parliament.
If won in elections, what would be your main focus? What do you expect to do for the Indian Community in New Zealand?
My main interest is in education and the economy in New Zealand for all people Indians, Maoris,
Pakehas - everyone. We have had a lack of economic vision and leadership and many people are suffering because they are underpaid or unemployed. I strongly believe there needs to be investment in the establishment of an innovative digital economy to parallel NZ’s excellence in agriculture, and create more secure high value jobs. This must also be met with strong investment in education, which is why we have a free tertiary education policy.
Both of these require focused political leadership to be achieved, right now most people do not even believe free tertiary education is possible, but that is not the case. There is a serious problem with a widening gap between rich and poor which stifles innovation, also economies with a wide income gap tend to have slower growth. Increasing minimum wage to living wage will boost local business through increased spending and create more jobs (as past wage increases have shown) as well as addressing social inequities. I want to see a vibrant educated NZ full of opportunities for everyone, men and women, people of all races.
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