A prominent social and community worker is keen to take the voice of the community to public bodies such as the New Zealand Parliament and the Auckland City Council for greater advocacy of equality of opportunity and assertion of human rights.
Ann Pala, a West Auckland resident, says she would also champion the cause of better employment and career opportunities for women.
“We have marked the International Women’s Day on March 8 and no other country could celebrate the event better than New Zealand. We became the first country in the world (in 1893) to accord women franchise. The right to vote has been enshrined in our democratic principles,” she said.
Ann has sought nomination to the Labour Party List in the ensuing election. She had earlier sought the Party’s nomination in the Te Atatu Electorate, which went to Phil Twyford.
In her two decades of public engagement, Ms Pala has held a number of elected positions in the community, including the Waitakere Ethnic Board and the Waitakere Indian Association (President).
She is the only woman of Indian origin to be appointed to the recently formed Auckland Council Ethnic Advisory Board, along with Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust Chairman Jeet Suchdev (see separate story in this section).
“I see this as an opportunity to contribute to creating best solutions for social cohesion and urban prosperity for the diversity of the ethnic communities in Auckland. It inspires me because diversity counts and promotes prominence in the vision of a vibrant Auckland,” she said.
She moaned about the absence of provision for longevity of the Panel.
“The Government’s Sunset Clause (2013) does not do us any favour. People of all ethnicities are committed to Auckland. The Government’s ethnic leadership lacked confidence to influence continuity,” she said.
Ms Pala is a Director of WinMac Solutions Ltd, a computer software company, a member on the Board of the recently integrated Zayed College for Girls and the Governance Board of the Funding Information Services, Wellington.
Phone: 021 813607 Email: annpala@nixcrew.com
