Kris Faafoi is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 politician for the Labour Party

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

. He represents the Mana electorate

Mana (New Zealand electorate)

Mana is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate north of Wellington. It is currently held by Kris Faafoi MP.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* Paraparaumu * Raumati...

 in the New Zealand Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand

The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...

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Early life and family

Faafoi's parents are from the Tokelau

Tokelau

Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...

 atoll of Fakaofo

Fakaofo

Fakaofo, formerly known as Bowditch Island, is a South Pacific Ocean atoll located at 171° 15' West, 9° 25' South in the Tokelau Group. The actual land area is only about 3 km², consisting of islets on a coral reef surrounding a central lagoon of some 45 km²...

. He grew up in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

. Faafoi was married to Gina Faafoi-Rogers, who is a producer with Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand is a New Zealand public service radio broadcaster and Crown entity formed by the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news, current affairs and arts network Radio New Zealand National and classical music and jazz network Radio New Zealand Concert with full government funding...

. They have a son George (born 2008).

Professional career

Faafoi trained as a journalist. He worked for the BBC and as a political commentator. Prior to the Mana by-election, he was the chief press secretary for Labour leader Phil Goff

Phil Goff

Philip Bruce Goff is the current Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. During the Fifth Labour Government, he served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Defence of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and...

, and the Rongotai Pacific branch chair of the Labour Party.

Mana by-election

After the resignation of Mana MP Winnie Laban on 10 August 2010,
Faafoi was chosen to represent the Labour Party in the resulting by-election

Mana by-election, 2010

A by-election was held in the New Zealand electorate of Mana on 20 November 2010. The seat was vacated by former Labour Pacific Island Affairs Minister Winnie Laban, who announced her resignation from the New Zealand Parliament on 10 August 2010 following her appointment as Assistant Vice...

, which was set for 20 November. Four people contesting the selection, with Faafoi defeating business manager Michael Evans, barrister Peter Foster and communications adviser Josie Pagani. During the campaign, he was criticised for a campaign brochure stating, "I had a great start because my family settled in Mana," implying that he grew up in the electorate despite being raised in Christchurch.
Faafoi won the by-election with 10,980 votes (46.4%), becoming the first MP of Tokelauan descent. Hekia Parata

Hekia Parata

Hon. Hekia Parata, Lady Gardiner is a New Zealand politician and member of the New Zealand House of Representatives, having been elected to parliament in the 2008 general election...

 from the National Party

New Zealand National Party

The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

 was placed second and received 9,574 (41.6%), giving Faafoi a margin of 1,080 votes (4.82%). This was a significant decrease of Laban's majority of 6,155 (17.7%) at the 2008 general election

New Zealand general election, 2008

The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...

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