How did a community leader upset her MP?... and what was his reaction? Sean Gillespie reports.
Pene Loza's life is a story of commitment to her community. The 56-year-old has helped people in need since her days at Otago University when she volunteered as a counsellor at Dunedin Women's Prison.
More recently, the Swanson resident has worked with the Out of School Care Network and headed the Tamaki Pathways Trust - a successful Panmure outfit mentoring at-risk kids.
But it's not enough to convince her electorate MP she's worthy of being a Justice of the Peace.
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira represents Te Tai Tokerau and has vetoed nominating Ms Loza, stopping her dead in her tracks.
It didn't matter that he hadn't called her four referees - heads of three well-established community groups and a school principal - or that she'd been a JP in Australia for 25 years.
What mattered to Mr Harawira, whose electorate stretches from West Auckland to Cape Reinga, is neither he nor his Auckland contacts knew her. At least that's what he emailed Ms Loza to explain his rejection.
As Ms Loza's MP, Mr Harawira can deny her nomination without explanation or recourse.
Having failed Mr Harawira's two-degrees-of-separation criteria, Ms Loza met him at the West City food court in Henderson. However, Mr Harawira told her he was concerned she hadn't spent enough time in her community.
"For me there are two issues," says Ms Loza. "One is the disappointment at not being able to give back to the community as a Maori in a role that I see is quite important for my community.
"The other is I'm annoyed with the response I've got from Hone because I think it's an unfair response and I have no grounds to appeal it."
This isn't the first time Mr Harawira and Ms Loza have crossed paths. About a year earlier, she emailed him asking for advice on an electorate issue. Mr Harawira responded in very large bold lettering: "Yeah - take it up with your MP. I note you're not on the Taitokerau roll."
However, she was on his roll, and Mr Harawira later apologised for causing her distress.
Ms Loza is concerned this incident may have affected Mr Harawira's decision not to support her JP nomination.
Mr Harawira won't comment to The Aucklander about whether this influenced his decision. He says the JP nomination process is confidential.
Les Smith, president of the Auckland Justices of the Peace Association, says the appointment process is antiquated and politicians aren't the right people to be sole gatekeepers. "It's the last bastion of MPs being able to give political patronage to people they support, or supporters of them."
He won't comment on Ms Loza's case but says, "If an MP decides not to go ahead with the appointment process on someone who is suitable just because they don't agree with their politics or which tribe they belong to, well, that's bullshit, quite frankly."
To become a JP, Ms Loza's only other option is to change electoral rolls from Maori to General, when next it is possible, in 2012, and apply to whomever is Waitakere MP.
For the time being, Mr Harawira's decision is final.
How to become a JP
Submit nomination form to your electorate MP
- MP nominates you
- Interview at District Court
- Ministry of Justice approves
- Minister of Justice approves
- Governor-General approves
- You're a JP
JPs can witness and sign legal documents, issue search warrants and perform various duties in a court.