Meng Foon

Meng Liu Foon (born c. 1959) is a New Zealand politician who served as the mayor of Gisborne from 2001 to 2019. Since August 2019, he has been New Zealand's race relations commissioner. He is one of a handful of people of Chinese descent to have become a mayor in New Zealand. He is fluent in English, Cantonese and Māori. At the time of his departure from the mayoral position he was the only mayor in New Zealand who was fluent in Māori.[3]

Meng Foon
廖振明
Foon in 2016
11th Race Relations Commissioner
Assumed office
26 August 2019
Preceded bySusan Devoy
Mayor of Gisborne
In office
October 2001[1] – 22 August 2019
Preceded byJohn Clarke
Succeeded byRehette Stoltz
Personal details
Bornc. 1959[2]
NationalityNew Zealand

Childhood and education

Meng Foon was born in August 1959 in Gisborne in New Zealand's North Island. His mother is Ng Heng Kiu (Helen) of Hong Kong and his father is Liu Sui Kai (George) of Guangzhou. Foon's parents were market gardeners who operated a vegetable shop in Gisborne. Foon also has a brother.[4]

From the age of seven, Foon began working at his family's vegetable shop. Foon and his younger brother attended school while working in the morning, lunch break, and after school at the family business. While working at his family business, Foon developed an interest in languages and accents; eventually becoming fluent in English, Cantonese, and the Māori language.[5]

Education

Foon attended Makaraka School where he was exposed to Māori culture including flax making and the haka war dance. Foon later attended Gisborne Intermediate School and Gisborne Boys' High School. Foon studied English, social studies, the sciences, physical education and the Māori language at Gisborne Boys' High School. Foon also played rugby at High School. Foon left high school at Sixth Form to help run his family's market garden business.[4]

Business career

Foon expanded his family's market garden business into several shops. During the 1960s, Foon and his family also bought Gisborne's Kaiti Mall and opened a liquor shop called TAB. In 1985, Foon's parents retired and emigrated to Sydney, Australia before retiring in Hong Kong. Meng, his brother, and their wives subsequently took over the family business.[4]

In 2018, Foon and his relatives sold Kaiti Mall. By that time, Kaiti Mall's land and buildings were estimated to be worth NZ$3.8 million. By 2018, Kaiti Mall had 12 tenants including businesses, government, and commercial tenants.[6]

Local government career

In 1995, Foon stood as councillor for the Gisborne District Council's Patutahi Taruheru ward at the encouragement of two detectives. At the time, the incumbent councillor Owen Pinching had announced his retirement. Foon won the 1995 local election and was elected to the Patutahi Taruheru ward.[4][3]

In 1998, Foon unsuccessfully ran for the position of Mayor of Gisborne.[4] In 2001, Foon ran again for the Gisborne mayoralty and was successfully elected. During the mayoral campaign, he highlighted his family values, business acumen, Māori language fluency, and financial management skills.[4][3] He was the first person to serve five consecutive terms as Gisborne mayor since Harry Barker retired in 1977.[7] In 2016, Foon won his sixth consecutive term as mayor of the Gisborne District, defeating three other candidates.[8] His mayoralty extended across New Zealand's easternmost province with the largest proportion of native Maori population (45% according to the 2013 New Zealand census).[4]

Following confirmation of the Ngāti Porou deal, arranged under the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, Foon was quoted as saying that "he did not believe many people would be disadvantaged by reduced access to the beach, as 90 per cent of the East Coast population was Maori anyway."[9] Foon announced in March 2019 that he would not stand again in the 2019 local elections.[3]

On 8 August 2019, the Gisborne District Council voted unanimously to appoint the deputy mayor, Rehette Stoltz, as mayor when Foon formally resigned on 22 August 2019.[10]

Race Relations Commissioner

In July 2019, Justice Minister Andrew Little confirmed that Foon had been appointed as the new Race Relations Commissioner, with his term commencing on 26 August 2019.[11]

In early November 2020, Foon as Race Relations Commissioner defended Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta's kauae moko facial tattoos after right-wing blogger Olivier Pierson mocked them as the "height of ugly, uncivilised wokedom." Foon stated that Mahuta's kauae moko was special to Māori and should be celebrated. He also urged people to abandon their racism and prejudices and to accept that the world is changing and that the Māori economy is growing.[12]

In March 2021, Meng Foon added his voice to those calling for an end to the reality show Police Ten 7[13] - which sparked controversy. Meng Foon later withdrew his statement.

Personal life and family

Foon has several interests outside of politics. He has released a musical number, Tu Mai, which includes various native tracks, he has been chair of Gisborne/Tarawhiti Rugby League since 2007, and is a board member of the New Zealand Rugby League board.[14][15]

At the age of 21, Foon married his wife Ying, who was 20 years old at the time. The couple have two daughters named Amanda and Jessica and a son named Nathan. They also have a grandson named Toby through one of their daughters.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Mayor Meng Foon" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  2. "National Portrait: Meng Foon, te reo Māori speaker, race relations commissioner". Stuff. 8 August 2019.
  3. "Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon steps down after 18 years". Radio New Zealand. 14 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  4. Chumko, Andre (24 March 2019). "Meng Foon's outstanding legacy on Gisborne, and New Zealand". Stuff. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  5. "Meng Foon: speaking out against racism". Radio New Zealand. 10 September 2022. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  6. Winter, Chloe (26 May 2018). "Gisborne mayor puts city's biggest suburban retail hub on the market". Stuff. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. Gillingham, Marianne (11 October 2010). "Meng Mayor again". Gisborne Herald. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  8. "Results of your 2016 local elections". localcouncils.govt.nz. Department of Internal Affairs. Archived from the original on 19 September 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  9. David Fisher and Cliff Taylor (18 January 2009). "Maori deal will 'close access to public beaches'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  10. "Rehette Stoltz is Gisborne's new mayor". Gisborne Herald. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019.
  11. Little, Andrew (11 July 2019). "Race Relations Commissioner appointed". Beehive.govt.nz. New Zealand Government. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020.
  12. Feek, Belinda (4 November 2020). "Author Olivia Pierson's offensive comments about Nanaia Mahuta's moko kaue: The backlash". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  13. "Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon says Ten 7 reflects 'racist' police". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  14. Gisborne Herald, Blog. "Mayor Meng Foons song Tu Mai". Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  15. "The Board". New Zealand Rugby League. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010.
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