Councillor Alf Filipaina will not stand for the Auckland Council at this year's elections. Photo / Local Democracy Reporting
Councillor Alf Filipaina will not stand for the Auckland Council at this year's elections. Photo / Local Democracy Reporting
Alf Filipaina will not seek re-election for council but aims for a local board seat in Māngere-Ōtāhuhu.
He highlighted low voter turnout and the lack of Māori and Pasifika representation in Auckland’s governing body.
Filipaina encouraged community engagement and emphasised honesty as key to his 22-year service.
Long-serving Manukau Ward councillor Alf Filipaina has announced he will not seek re-election for council, but hopes to run for a local board seat in Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, South Auckland.
“I thought it might be time to bring in someone younger, so I put a succession plan in place before the 2022 election,” Filipaina, who has been involved in local government since 2003, said.
The veteran Pacific politician had already ruled out a bid for the Auckland mayoralty.
He estimated it would cost $300,000-$500,000 to campaign for mayor and he would need to get a loan to cover any shortfall.
Filipaina said he hopes to remain in local government on the local board, but it would depend on whether he gets selected to run and then elected.
Labour is due to announce the successful local board selections on March 20, he said.
Tauanu'u Nanai Nick Bakulich is the chairman of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Last weekend, the party confirmed Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board chairman Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich and councillor Lotu Fuli as its candidates for the Manukau ward.
“[Tauanu’u’s] got, obviously, history with the local board … he’s a very good community man, and so I’ll just be supporting him,” Filipaina said.
Māori and Pasifika representation
Since 2010, Filipaina has served as a regional councillor in Auckland. Before that, he was a Manukau councillor and served with the police for 38 years.
Filipaina said he is aware of the consistently low voter turnout in Ōtara-Papatoetoe, which has recorded the lowest participation rate in Auckland over the past three local elections – 27.3% in 2016, 22.7% in 2019, and 22% in 2022.
Filipaina also highlighted the lack of Māori and Pasifika representation in the governing body.
“If you have a look at the demographics around that table, representing, I won’t be there as one of the Māori councillors, nor will Kerrin [Leoni].”
He notes the presence of Richard Hills, who has Māori heritage, and Pacific councillors Josephine Bartley, Fuli, and hopeful candidate Bakulich.
Despite their strong commitment to serving the community, Māori and Pasifika remain a minority in the governing body where key decisions are made – a gap that still needs to be addressed, Filipaina said.
“The learning ground for our community, from a cultural perspective, and that’s across the board – Pasifika, ethnic, Māori – is to get involved with the local board,” he said.
Efeso Collins, who died last year, ran for the Auckland Mayoralty in 2022. Photo / Greg Bowker
He pointed to successful candidates like the late Fa’anāna Efeso Collins and Fuli who started with the local board.
“Get involved with local politics by going to the local board meetings. If you have any questions, ring me. My number will be on the Auckland Council website.”
Filipaina’s secret to 22 years of service
When asked about the secret behind his long-standing service, Filipaina attributed it to honesty.
Alf Filipaina spent 38 years in the NZ Police before becoming a Auckland Councillor.
“It’s being honest with our community. Obviously, I had a profile anyway because I was in the police for 38 and a half years in South Auckland,” he said.
“I grew up in Māngere East since 1960 – we moved from up north.
“So that’s the secret – always be honest. And when people ask for help, don’t just pass them on to someone else. Do as much as you can, then give them options.”
As his tenure as a councillor comes to an end, Filipaina said what he would miss the most are the staff who keep Auckland Council functioning.
“A lot of the liaising, communication, and work I was doing involved talking to local board staff in Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Māngere-Ōtāhuhu, as well as working with our directors and the CEO. So I’m going to miss working with the staff who handle the regional stuff.”
Filipaina’s vision for the future of local government
Asked if Auckland would ever see a Pacific Mayor, Filipaina said there is a succession plan and he is optimistic.
