Lee was demoted from Cabinet in April last year, with Luxon stripping her of the media and communications portfolio.

On Sunday, he sacked Lee from her remaining ministerial roles, giving ethnic communities to Police Minister Mark Mitchell and economic growth (formerly economic development) to Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Lee, a former broadcaster who produced the Asia Downunder diversity television programme, currently remains a list MP and was ranked number 13 on the National Party’s list for the 2023 election.

She narrowly lost her bid to win the Mount Albert electorate seat to the Labour Party’s Helen White by 18 votes.

Kelly Feng, chief executive at Asian Family Services, said the demotion announced Sunday was “significant”.

‘Not good optics’
“Replacing somebody who comes from ethnic communities, with someone who, shall we say, comes from the mainstream, is definitely not good optics,” Feng said.

“It’s not just me saying this, rather research proves it. The leadership should be more representative of our diverse population. This motivates our younger generation to come forward and strive for leadership roles.”

Feng thanked Lee for serving the ethnic communities of New Zealand for a long time and being a strong advocate for them.

Tayo Agunlejika, former president of Multicultural New Zealand, expressed shock at the announcement.

“I feel sad for her because I know how hard she worked over the past two decades to rise through the ranks and get the ministerial position,” Agunlejika said.

“For her to have lost the role within a year, and that, too, after finishing strong in 2024 with the launch of the Ethnic Evidence Report is shocking.”

Jaspreet Kandhari, general secretary of the New Zealand Indian Business Association, acknowledged Lee’s efforts in managing the ethnic communities’ portfolio.

Significant contributions
“She made significant contributions during her tenure as the minister for ethnic communities, particularly in publishing a comprehensive report on ethnic communities,” Kandhari said.

“Her work laid a foundation for important discussions on diversity and inclusion.”

Former National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, who entered Parliament with Lee in 2008, called her “exceptional in [her] ability to connect with the broader ethnic communities, fostering understanding and inclusion”.

“I believe the PM has made this decision on its merits. He has rightfully acknowledged the significant contributions Melissa Lee made as the minister of ethnic communities,” Singh said.

“Mark Mitchell, as the new ethnic communities minister, will bring his own strengths to the role. I am confident that he will be a strong advocate for ethnic communities and continue building on the foundations set by his predecessor.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Lois Yee, vice president of the New Zealand Chinese Association, who also shared a desire to work with Mitchell “to realise a vibrant, cohesive and inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand”.

Seeking holistic view
Meanwhile, Feng, whose organisation primarily works in the mental health space, wants Mitchell to take a holistic view of the issues faced by ethnic communities in New Zealand.

“The new minister of ethnic communities, who is also the minister of police, will definitely have a better understanding of law and order, which is one of the major issues for ethnic communities,” Feng said.

“But our hope is for Minister Mitchell to engage with the ethnic communities at a wider level, and look at other issues such as mental health, bullying in schools, and discrimination, which affects us disproportionately.”

Agunlejika said New Zealand’s ethnic communities needed “someone with an in-depth understanding of the community needs and aspirations, and the complexities within the ethnic communities”.

“I think Mike Mitchell’s relationship with New Zealand Police Ethnic Advisory Group might help,” Agunlejika said. “But, in 2025, I don’t think the appointment is reflective of the community, although [the appointment] might be the right experience needed.”

Mitchell said he was honoured to take on the ethnic communities’ portfolio.

“Law and order remain a significant issue for ethnic communities, and I welcome the opportunity to bring these portfolios [police and ethnic communities] together,” Mitchell said.

“Ethnic communities make a huge economic and cultural contribution, and I look forward to continuing to engage with a range of communities in this new role.

“I will spend the coming weeks getting up to speed with the challenges and opportunities, before setting out my priorities.”

Luxon told RNZ on Sunday that Lee had committed to staying on as a National MP to the 2026 election “at this point”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A 27-year-old former police officer is off to represent New Zealand at the Miss World beauty contest in India next month.

Navjot Kaur, who spent two years on the beat in South Auckland, won the title in a rapid-fire selection process in Auckland last weekend.

Next week, Kaur will join about 90 women vying for the 2024 Miss World title during a range of events in Delhi and Mumbai.

“I’m very overwhelmed and thankful for the opportunity,” Kaur said.

Kaur’s sister, Isha, also competed for a place in the New Zealand competition.

“It was not a competition between us,” Kaur said. “We both had the same mindset that whoever wins between us will have the same morals and values that we learned from our mum.”

As a member of the Sikh community, Kaur believes her representation helps to showcase New Zealand’s diversity to the world.

Migrated to NZ
Kaur’s family migrated to New Zealand in the early 1990s before her birth.

Eventually raised by a solo mother, Kaur aspires to make a positive impact on society and views the Miss World competition as a platform on which to do so.

Meet New Zealand’s new Miss World contestant.    Video: RNZ

“Growing up in a state house in Manurewa, I witnessed many young people struggling and I wanted to change that,” she said. “That’s why I joined the police.”

Kaur graduated from Police College in 2019 and left the force two years later.

“What we witnessed on the frontlines was different from what we learned at Police College,” Kaur said.

“There’s family harm, there’s child abuse and when I got onto the frontlines it emotionally drained me because I used to be very connected to the victims,” she said. “I left (the force) after my last suicide (case), which was very intense.”

Following her departure from the police force, she pursued personal training and recently acquired her real estate licence.

‘I wanted to help people’
“I really wanted to help people get into the best shape, look and feel confident again, making a difference in people’s lives,” she says.

The Miss World contest began in 1951 when entrepreneur Eric Morley devised a pageant to promote a new and controversial type of swimming attire called the bikini.

This caused an uproar, particularly in religious countries, which called the swimming costume immodest.

That controversy set the tone for the pageant, which along with other global beauty contests (Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth) has been a target of protesters ever since.

Kaur said the Miss World competition went beyond superficial beauty, focusing on community engagement and philanthropy.

“There’s always giving back to the community, a charity aspect and there’s always something to do with helping people,” Kaur said.

In 2014, Morley ditched the contest’s swimsuit parade, saying it “doesn’t do anything for the woman and it doesn’t do anything for any of us”.

Demonstrate skills, fundraising
Contestants are now expected to demonstrate skills and a commitment to fundraising and charity work.

“They’re not doing the swim rounds at Miss World, so it doesn’t objectify women,” Kaur said.

She said the Miss World platform aligned beauty with purpose, enabling participants to raise awareness and serve their communities.

The Miss World Organisation has raised more than £1 billion ($2.06 billion) for children’s charities since its launch.

Despite being a New Zealand citizen, Kaur is also an overseas citizen of India, adding an intriguing dynamic to her participation in this year’s contest.

“I’ve learned the best of both worlds,” she said.

“I can perform traditional poi, the karanga, which I did during my time in the police, and, of course, I can do the Bhangra, a traditional Punjabi folk dance.”

Kiwis on the world stage
New Zealand’s most famous and successful beauty queen is Lorraine Downes, who won Miss Universe in 1983. A New Zealander has yet to win Miss World, although two have come second.

Suzanne Manning, national president of the National Council of Women, said beauty pageants were “no big issue”.

“It’s not our biggest battle,” she said. “There are so many other things that are far more discriminatory.”

If someone chose to enter a beauty pageant because they believed it was the right thing for them to do, Manning said they should not be criticised.

“Women shouldn’t be judged for freely made choices,” Manning said.

“What I would like to see is that beauty pageants are open to everyone and different ways of being beautiful, rather than a particular body type, race or colour,” she said.

Kaur wants to use the Miss World platform to educate and inspire women in her community.

“There are norms in my Punjabi community, where women are seen in a certain way, like they can’t do this and they can’t do that,” Kaur said.

“When I became a police officer, I was questioned by my own community. So, I think this platform will allow me to inspire others and tell them, ‘If I can do it, you can do it too’,” she said. “Just dare to dream big.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz