Nanaya Mahuta: Maori becomes New Zealand’s Foreign Minister – Politics

WELLINGTON – About two weeks after her apparent election victory, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern presented her new government on Monday. Maori Nanaya Mahuta, the first woman to hold the position, will be Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The 50-year-old was a Minister for Maori Development and Local Government. She is the first woman in the New Zealand Parliament to wear the Mokuo Kawai – the traditional chin tattoo. Mahota said that Mäori and mixed-race women now have career opportunities in New Zealand that have long been closed to them. The office is a “great privilege”.

Ardern’s wardrobe of 20 houses eight women, five Maori women, and three LGBT women (lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women). “This is an incredibly diverse treasury of benefits.“ I’m so proud, ”said the 40-year-old. The country now also has a new division: Chris Hepkins has become Minister to fight Covid-19. With drastic measures, New Zealand has already managed to reduce the number of new infections. To zero twice.

In the October 17 parliamentary elections, Labor won an outright majority of 64 of the 120 parliamentary seats in the island nation in the South Pacific, according to preliminary results. Although she can rule alone, Ardern announced at the end of the week that it would continue its collaboration with the Greens. The two sides agreed on a cooperation agreement. We’ve shown in the previous government that we can work really well together. When it comes to issues of the environment and prosperity, we agree on many points that are beneficial to New Zealand. ”That is why you want to continue relying on the expertise of the Greens.