Agnes Loheni
Agnes Loheni | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for National Party party list | |
| Assumed office 31 January 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Finlayson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Political party | National |
| Spouse | Ward Kamo |
| Children | 5 |
Agnes Loreta Loheni MP (born 1972) is a New Zealand politician and a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the New Zealand National Party. She was declared elected on 31 January 2019, following the resignation of Chris Finlayson.
Early life and career
Loheni was born in 1972 in Auckland, spending her formative years in Mount Albert.[1] She lived in a state house with as many as 15 family members in just three bedrooms, and was educated at Marist College, Auckland.[2] Loheni is a Samoan New Zealander. She is the eldest daughter of Fepulea'i Pelasio Loheni and Filomena Mata'utia Loheni (Mena Loheni). She also has three sisters named Jackie, Gina and Charlene. Agnes, her mother Mena, and her sisters ran a local Samoan fashion brand called MENA.[3][4]
She is married and has five children.[1] Loheni has a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Auckland.[3] After graduating she had a two-year OE based in London and then returned to New Zealand where she focused on running the family business selling contemporary Pasifika fashion.[2]
Political career
| Years | Term | Electorate | List | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–present | 52nd | List | 49 | National | |
In 2017 election Loheni stood for the National Party in the Māngere electorate and was placed 49 on National's party list.[5] She did not win the safe Labour electorate and was not ranked high enough on National's party list to be allocated a seat in parliament. In February 2018 Loheni and several other "next in line" list candidates attended National's parliamentary caucus meeting to help ease their transition into parliament should they enter during the course of the parliamentary term.[6]
Loheni became an MP on 31 January 2019, following the retirement of National MP Chris Finlayson, and was sworn in on 12 February.[7][8] She was appointed as National's associate spokesperson for small business and associate spokesperson for Pacific people by leader Simon Bridges.[9][10]
In November 2019 she stood for the National nomination in the safer seat of Botany, but lost to former Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon.[11] In May 2020 she indicated that she was seeking the National nomination for the new seat of Takanini,[12] but a month later the party announced Rima Nakhle as its candidate.[13] Loheni was instead selected to contest Māngere for a second time.[14]
Views
Loheni has taken an anti-abortion stance. She served on the Abortion Legislation Select Committee to consider the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. Loheni wrote a minority report for the committee criticising the bill for what she considered its lack of safeguards on late-term abortions and foetal abnormalities.[15][16][17]
References
- ^ a b "Getting candid with Agnes Loheni". Stuff.co.nz. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ a b Cheng, Derek (29 January 2019). "Meet Parliament's new MP: Agnes Loheni, National Party list MP". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Agnes Loheni steps into political arena". Samoa Observer. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ "About Us". MENA. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ "National releases 2017 party list". New Zealand National Party. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- ^ "National caucus presents united front". RNZ. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "New list MP for the New Zealand National Party". Electoral Commission. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "Resignations, list member vacancy, & members sworn". Hansard. New Zealand Parliament. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
- ^ "National announces spokesperson for Drug Reform". National Party. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
- ^ Young, Audrey (22 January 2019). "Simon Bridges kicks off political year with reshuffle and a new job for deputy Paula Bennett". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ Block, George (4 November 2019). "National chooses former Air NZ boss Christopher Luxon as Botany MP candidate". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ "National MP Sets Sights On Takanini Seat". Scoop. 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Rima Nakhle National's Candidate In Takanini". Scoop. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ "National Selects Māngere And Manurewa Candidates". Scoop. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Dreaver, Charlie (14 February 2020). "Select committee delivers report on abortion Bill". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ Wade, Amelia (18 March 2020). "Abortion law reform passes third reading". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ Loheni, Agnes (15 February 2020). "Read MP Agnes Loheni's Minority Report on Labour's Abortion Bill". Voice for Life. Retrieved 19 March 2020.