Peter is of Maori and Samoan descent, his mum is Ngati Wai / Ngati Hine and his Dad hails from the village of Magiagi. He was raised in a council flat in Onehunga before his parents purchased a home through a government housing scheme in the late 1960’s. For the next 18 years, Mangere was the place he called home.

What led you to working at The Cause Collective?

I had become increasingly aware of and impressed by TCC through 2020. While considering my options for a fresh challenge in 2021, I was invited for a coffee by my old friend Jerome Mika, where I learned more about TCC’s work and its future direction. A meeting with the CEO and the opportunity to be part of this community led ‘movement’ made the decision to join The Cause Collective team a no-brainer.

Who inspires you and why? 

My parents because they ‘migrated’ to this city (mum from rural Northland and dad from Sāmoa) my siblings and I had greater opportunity than they did.

Also my children, because they serve as a reminder for me to honour the sacrifices that were made by my own parents by continuing to strengthen their future and future generations of my whanau.

What is your current role? 

Community Economic Development Lead

What is your vision for health and wellbeing in South Auckland?

That Māori and Pacific people have every opportunity to participate fully in a healthy NZ economy, that recognises and respects the unique value they add.  Ultimate success means that our communities achieve equitable standards of living and shared life expectancy. That’s a reasonable expectation of a civil society.

Who is your favourite superhero and why?

Batman.  He has no superpower, many human flaws, but he is driven by good intent.

Quirky interesting thing nobody knows about you?

I still enjoy slurping condensed milk straight from the can… when no one’s watching.