Team behind University’s first Pacific Strategy spans the Moana

Hon Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds, the Opposition spokesperson for Finance and Infrastructure visited the University of Auckland, her almer mater, on February 24. She met with business academics to learn about the upcoming Pacific Strategy and Pacific Academy initiatives.

Edmonds (Fale’ula, Faleatiu, Safotu, Fasito’o), the MP for Mana, spoke with leaders from the Business School, Schools and Community Engagement, and the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific.

“It’s nice to be back home, it does feel like home, this is my alma mater where I did my law and arts degree that set me up for my career." 

Edmonds says it was good to be amongst Pacific students and to have in-depth discussions focused on economic policies.

“We had good discussions with the School of Business, around macro and micro economic policies that we will be testing as part of our policies that we will be forming," she says. 

Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific, Professor Jemaima Sipaea Tiatia-Siau, says creating the University’s first Pacific Strategy in 142 years has taken major efforts over the past year. Tiatia-Siau adds that having someone with the expertise and calibre of the Infrastructure and Finance Opposition Spokesperson highlights the strategy's significance.

“We’re grateful to have had the Hon Barbara Edmonds come onto campus, to be able to share with her the work we have undertaken, to ensure we are on track to creating successful futures for Pacific students, staff, and researchers. 

“She’s a great example of why drawing up a road map for Pacific success here at the University is important, so that our young people can flourish at the University and leave ready to take on the world.” 

Professor Tiatia-Siau says the Mana MP relished learning about initiatives to prepare school leavers for the university environment such as Auckland Maths Challenge and the Pacific Academy, ensuring Pacific youth were able to thrive.

Edmonds says it was also important to encourage the Pacific community into the Business space.  She pivoted during her career path starting out in Health Sciences before graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in 2008, going on to become a specialist tax lawyer. 

A mother of eight, her path to becoming a Cabinet Minister began eight years ago while working as a private secretary for the National Party’s Ministers of Revenue, Michael Woodhouse and Judith Collins. The following year in 2017 she was appointed as a political adviser for the Labour Government’s Revenue and Police Minister Stuart Nash. She entered Parliament in 2020 as the MP for Mana and became a Cabinet Minister in 2023, holding the Internal Affairs and Pacific Peoples portfolios. 

“I came into the business space through my arts and law degrees, which was a very different pathway," says the 44-year-old. 

“I got into the area of tax through law, it’s a good indicator of broadening [your scope]. The Humanities and the Arts are important, it means you have a good grounding for a diverse career. "

“I’ve been really fortunate that I had a good foundation here, with the Auckland Law School and with the Faculty of Arts. You can become a Finance Opposition spokesperson for a major political party — don’t knock the Arts!”

Professor Tiatia-Siau says Edmonds’ visit to give guidance and moral support to developing the Pacific Strategy was timely. 

“We are this week welcoming our first-year students and we are also on the eve of a great milestone. The presence of the Hon Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds is a show of support for the work we are doing, and she is a wonderful role model of what can be accomplished once you have secured a university education.”