Rev. Alec Toleafoa

Rev. Alec Toleafoa was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand in 1986 after training at Knox Theological College, University of Otago. Throughout his ministry he has worked with urban communities, young people, people in custodial and residential settings, and leadership development, with a strong focus on social justice. His commitment to this work stems from his involvement with the Polynesian Panthers in his youth. Since 2011, Rev. Toleafoa has been part of the Polynesian Panther Party Legacy Trust’s Educate to Liberate programme, helping schools teach the history of Pacific peoples and the Panthers’ role in Aotearoa New Zealand, now included in the national history curriculum.

Rev. Linda Hope

My name is Linda‑Teleo, and I stand on the legacy of my late Tokelau parents, Kitiona of Atafu and Talita of Fakaofo—lay servant leaders of God. Their lives were woven into willing sacrifice, generous faith, and unconditional love. Mum embodied the best qualities of a Fatupaepae [Foundation Stone] within the family. And Dad, was a strong union representative in his workplace because of his hard work ethic, integrity, fairness, and ability to advocate and unite people, despite the barrier of broken English.  My parents complementary partnership taught me what it takes to pioneer, build, transform, and regenerate spaces and people with dignity, justice, and collective strength. Today, through ELP, our church weaves faith, culture, and vaka‑building practical skills and wisdom to uplift Pacific young people and their families to move from pain and trauma into purpose, triumph, and celebration.

Spiritual/Christian Awakening: 1981
Paid Work Began: 1983 – State Insurance
Ordained Ministry Began: 1994 -Present, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ (PCANZ)
Roles: Minister/ Chaplain / Researcher / Consultant / Grief, Trauma & Life Transitions Care
Present Work: 2022–Present, Parish Minister of ELP – Ekālēhia Lā Pale Tokelau Tuvalu Aotearoa NZ
Ethnicity: Aotearoa raised Tokelauan

Melissa Ansell-Bridges

Melissa Ansell-Bridges was elected CTU Secretary in October 2019.

She was previously the Director of Equity New Zealand where she had worked since 2016. She has a particular interest in the rights of contractors and has been a member of the Better Protections for Contractors Tripartite Working Group and the Film Industry Working Group where she has successfully advocated to secure the right for contractors in the screen industry to be able to collectively bargain for minimum terms and conditions.

She is also keenly interested in progressing Gender and Ethnic Pay Equity and is a member of the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women to the Minister for Women. She is a trustee of UnionAID, member of the International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific General Council, honorary executive member of the Pacific Island Council of Trade Unions and holds a BA/LLB(Hons) with majors in Politics and Sociology.

Hon. Carmel Sepuloni

Hon Carmel Sepuloni is a New Zealand parliamentarian, currently serving as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and the Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Carmel entered Parliament in 2008, as New Zealand’s first MP of Tongan descent. She has held significant ministerial offices, including Social Development & Employment, Child Poverty Reduction, Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region), Pacific Peoples, Women, Disability Issues, and in 2023 became New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister — the first Pacific woman to hold this office.

All her work is underscored by her commitment to building equitable opportunities for all New Zealanders. Currently, she is the Labour Spokesperson for Auckland, Pacific Peoples, and Women.

Lealamanu’a Niuafolau Aiga Caroline Mareko MNZM, JP, FNZEI

Lealamanu’a Niuafolau Aiga Caroline Mareko is a New Zealand-born Samoan from Lalomanu, Avao, Mulifanua, Faleula and Vaiusu. She is Community Services Senior Lead at Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens, overseeing Piri’anga Alofa Pacific & Community Services, including Pacific ECE, transport, Le Fale Job & Skills Hub, community navigators and Whānau Ora Pasifika initiatives. With over 30 years’ experience delivering culturally responsive professional development across education, government and community sectors, she is deeply involved in Pacific community engagement. Lealamanu’a has been national co‑convenor of the NZCTU Komiti Pasefika Sector Council for over a decade and convenor of NZEI Te Riu Roa’s National Pasifika Leadership Caucus, and serves on multiple Pacific and local leadership boards and forums.

Fala Haulangi

I am a campaign union organiser, also co-ordinating Komiti Pasifika & Migrant members of E tū Union, where I advocate strongly for Living wage, Fair Pay Agreements, equal pay, migrant workers’ rights, and climate change. I used to serve on the Police Pacific Advisory Group for the Auckland District and represent E tū and the Pacific voice. I was part of the Temporary Migrant Workers Exploitation Community Group with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Currently a Board member of the Migrant Action Trust in Auckland and was the co-convenor of the Pacific Women’s Watch (New Zealand) Inc. Currently the producer and an announcer for the Pacific Media Network (PMN) – Tuvalu Community Radio programme on Radio 531 PI.

Mataafa Tauiliili Gadiel Asiata

Mataafa Tauiliili Gadiel Asiata is a long serving union leader and current Co-President on the E tū National Executive, where he helps govern one of Aotearoa’s largest private sector unions and oversees strategy, policy and campaigns for better wages and conditions. With a background in manufacturing at Griffin’s and decades of organising alongside factory workers, Gadiel has walked with workers on the line, supporting them to secure fair pay, safer workplaces and respect on the job. His advocacy for Pacific workers is especially commendable: Gadiel has consistently mobilised Pacific members to stand up for their rights, challenge exploitative practices and bring Komiti Pasefika perspectives into national debates on pay equity, labour law and corporate power. In the spirit of Lalaga – weaving our strength – his journey shows how union leadership, Pacific values and collective action can be woven together to build justice for workers, their families and communities across Aotearoa

Lisa Meto Fox

Lisa Meto Fox is an Auckland-based employment advocate and consultant with a background in employment law. As Manager of the Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry at the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, she helped lead a landmark investigation into the disparities faced by Pacific workers, shaping national conversations on workplace equity. Her insights on pay gaps and workers’ rights have featured in E-Tangata and on RNZ and PMN, and she brings a rare blend of legal expertise and lived experience to her work with Pacific workers and unions across Aotearoa.

Lupematasila Dr Melani Anae

Dr. Melani Anae is a senior lecturer in Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland, acclaimed author, and former member of the Polynesian Panthers. Of Sāmoan descent, she has dedicated her career to advancing Pacific scholarship, social justice, and anti-racism in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her research and teaching focus on Pacific identity, migration, decolonisation, and the enduring legacy of the Polynesian Panthers. Through the Panthers’ Educate to Liberate programme, she has helped thousands of students explore New Zealand’s history and the importance of equity and inclusion. Dr. Anae is the author of several influential works, including The Platform: The Radical Legacy of the Polynesian Panthers, and continues to inspire new generations through education, advocacy, and community leadership.

Nia Bartley

Echoing the many greetings of welcome from Te Moana Nui a Kiwa which reflect my rich and diverse whakapapa/gafa to seven Pasifika nations.

An experienced and staunch union activist for workers’ rights, human rights, and our environment. Alumni of Victoria University, Wellington. A dual union member of PSA and Etu. I am one of the current NZCTUKP Co-convenor’s, elected in 2021, and re-confirmed in 2024. An ‘unofficial’ Polynesian Panther. Since 2023 I have been the elected Etu Union Executive Board Central Regional Representative and, on the Etu Union Women’s Standing committee since 2024. I am on my local union health board and involved in other community campaigns ie. Living Wage. I advocate and amplify our collective voices for all especially tangata o le moana and tangata whenua. Together let’s find solutions to bring back a government that cares for our people and nation.

“O lupe sa vao ese’ese, ae ua fuifui fa’atasi.”

“We are from different parts of the forest, but connected in one cause.”

It is people, it is families, it is communities, it is a future we must build together.

Robert Popata

Robert Popata (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu) is the Regional Secretary at AWUNZ, with extensive experience in union advocacy, workplace relations, and fair employment practice. He has worked across organising, mediation, and negotiation roles, supporting members to achieve safe and equitable workplaces. Robert has served as a Union Organiser with AWUNZ Federation, contributing to collective agreements and health and safety improvements. Earlier in his career he worked as a Log Cut Off Saw Operator at Carter Holt Harvey and led departments in retail as Head of Department for Whiteware and Electronics at Farmers. He is an HR and business advisor at Manawa Ora, with strong focus on relationships, wellbeing, empowering workers.

Sailauama Cheryl Talamaivao

Sailauama Cheryl Tuia Talamaivao, KSM, JP
MAP (Hons) PGDip Bus, BASW, RSW
Te Atatu Peninsula, West Auckland, Vaie’e, Safata and Salimu Fagaloa, Va’a o Fonoti

Embodying the conference theme of Lalaga, Sailauama defines her leadership style by her ability to weave together diverse strands of community, governance, education, and social justice to make a meaningful difference. A King’s Service Medal (KSM) recipient for her services to the Pacific community and Education. Sailauama has fostered educational opportunities and promoted pathways for underrepresented groups. A registered social worker, she serves as a Senior Lecturer at Unitec.

A dedicated and committed union leader/mentor, Sailauama’s current leadership includes serving as an Executive Member/Workplace Delegate for the Tertiary Education Union, alongside her role with Komiti Pasifika Auckland. Her extensive union governance history includes serving as National Vice President of the New Zealand Public Service Association (PSA). The regional and international representative roles with the South Pacific Oceania Council of Trade Unions (SPOCTU) and National Affiliates Council has successfully championed membership rights which has leveraged a universal career of dedicated service.

Sailauama honours her foundational union mentors – Sir Ken Douglas, ONZ JP, (Founding President of NZCTU), Elizabeth Peivi Alice Smith Lee-Lo, ONZM, (SFWU Executive) and No’ora Augustino Samuela, PGDip Industrial Relations, Senior Organiser, SFWU (Inaugural CTU Komiti Pasifika convenor) whose shared threads of leadership remain woven forever. “solidarity and Rest in Alofa”. E le galo outou

As Sir Ken famously reminded us on the power of collective solidarity: “There is no progress in division.” (Douglas, 2000)

Teanau Tuiono

Teanau Tuiono is a List MP for the Green Party based in Palmerston North and the party’s first Pasifika MP. Of Cook Islands Māori (Atiu) and Ngāpuhi/Ngāi Takoto descent, he has spent more than 20 years as an activist, advocate, and organiser working across environmental, Indigenous, and social justice issues. His work has ranged from grassroots campaigns to representing Indigenous communities at the United Nations, with a focus on climate change, biodiversity, and Indigenous rights. Widely respected in both Māori and Pasifika communities, Teanau sees Parliament as a platform to amplify community voices and build a more just, sustainable future where people and the environment can thrive together.

Tigi Ness

Tigilau Ness is a Niuean New Zealand musician, activist, and founding member of the Polynesian Panthers. A lifelong advocate for social justice, he played a leading role in campaigns against racism, apartheid, and for Māori land rights, including the Bastion Point occupation and protests against the 1981 Springbok Tour. As a pioneering reggae artist, he founded Unity and later Unity Pacific, using music to champion unity, equality, and Pacific identity. His influential career spans more than four decades and was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pacific Music Awards in 2009. Tigilau continues to inspire through his music, activism, and storytelling, including alongside his son, acclaimed musician Che Fu.

Anae Arthur Anae

Anae Arthur Anae is a respected New Zealand leader, businessman, and advocate for Pacific communities. Born in Suva, Fiji, in 1945, he became the first Pacific person elected to New Zealand’s Government as a National Party Member of Parliament in 1996. Throughout his career, he has championed initiatives benefiting Pacific peoples, including pension portability and the restoration of New Zealand citizenship rights for eligible Samoans. He has also served as a Manukau City and Auckland Councillor. In 2025, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Samoan community and received a national honour from Samoa in June. He currently chairs Pacific Justice, advocating for fairness, equality, and stronger Pacific partnerships.

Erin Temu

Teisa Unga

Erin Temu is a Senior Adviser Strategic Engagement and Partnerships at the Electoral Commission. Erin is of Māori and Pacific descent; Erin brings over 20 years of experience in various management roles within the organisation. Today, he works within the Tāmaki Makaurau team to design regional and local engagement strategies across the Auckland area. His role is to inspire participation, expand voter awareness, and empower communities to confidently navigate the democratic processes.

Teisa Unga is a community and union organiser from Vaimalō, Vava’u. Tongaleleka, Ha’apai and Kolomotu’a Tongatapu. She has served as National Labour Field Director for the 2020 general election, National Lead Organiser for the Living Wage Movement, and currently works as a Growth Organiser with NZEI Te Riu Roa, bringing experience across political campaigns, community organisations, and the union movement. 

Serving in faith for over 12 years as a youth leader has shaped her commitment to justice. Witnessing the exploitation of young people and migrant communities has deepened her conviction that faith calls her to action. Faith is the foundation of her organising, inspiring her to develop leaders, strengthen communities, and pursue justice.