Asenati Taylor

Le-Aufa'amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor[2] (born 1962 or 1963) is a former New Zealand politician and a member of the House of Representatives. She is a member of the New Zealand First Party.

Asenati Lole-Taylor
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for List
In office
26 November 2011 (2011-11-26) – 20 September 2014
Personal details
Born
Asenati Lole

1962 or 1963 (age 59–61)[1]
Apia, Samoa
NationalitySamoan and New Zealand
Political partyNew Zealand First
SpouseDennis Taylor
Children3
Residence(s)Central Coast, Australia
ProfessionAdministrator

Early life

Born in Samoa,[3] Taylor emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 17.[4] She has served as chairperson of the Auckland City Pacific Islands Board[5] and as a member of the Pacific Health Advisory Committee[6] of the Auckland District Health Board. Prior to election to Parliament, Taylor worked as the Regional Advisor Pacific Northern Region for Rehabilitation and Reintegration Services at the Department of Corrections.[7][8] She has three children and one stepson.[9]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2011–2014 50th List 8 NZ First

Taylor was a member of the New Zealand Labour Party and stood in the Tamaki-Maungakiekie Ward in the 2007 Auckland City Council elections.[9]

Taylor stood for New Zealand First in the Maungakiekie electorate in the 2008 election, but was unsuccessful.

She became the New Zealand First candidate for the Manukau East electorate in the 2011 election.[10] She was elected from the party list due to her list ranking of eighth. After being demoted to the sixteenth position on the New Zealand First party list, Lole-Taylor failed to return to Parliament at the 2014 general election.[11]

In 2013, Taylor voted against the Marriage Amendment Bill, which aims to permit same sex marriage in New Zealand, with all of her fellow New Zealand First MPs.[12]

After Parliament

Following her demotion and subsequent failure to get re-elect Taylor has kept a low profile. Taylor came to prominence when it was found both she and her husband, Dennis Taylor, had illicitly accessed private data during their time working for the Department of Corrections. The access was found to be in regards to an elected official of the New Zealand First Party. Records pertaining to drink driving offences committed by Marise Bishop, a former director on NZ First's board and Mana electorate chairwoman, were accessed from Corrections'. She [Marise] believed Mr Taylor's motivation was down to his wife's loyalty to fellow Samoan NZ First member Tim Manu who was active in the Mana electorate but with whom Ms Bishop had fallen out with.[13] Following the release of this information Taylor hinted she was contemplating a move to Australia and removed most of her Social Media presence, having been known for outspoken tweets during her time as an MP[14] In May 2015 Taylor left New Zealand despite a probe into the activities of her and her husband and were believed to have left New Zealand in March.[15]

References
  1. "MP Asenati Lole-Taylor on the 'BJ' word". NZ Herald. 19 October 2013.
  2. Electoral Commission. "Party Lists of Unsuccessful Registered Parties". 2008 General Election – Official Result. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  3. ABC International. "NZ First MP second Pacific woman MP". Radio Australia: Pacific Beat. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  4. Taylor, Asenati. "Profile". Asenati Talor: NZ First-Manukau East Electorate. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  5. Lole-Taylor, L.-A. A. "Statement to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance by the Pacific Islands Board Auckland City" (PDF). Royal Commission on Auckland Governance – Submissions. Royal Commission on Auckland Governance. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  6. Auckland District Health Board. "Community and Public Health Advisory Committee Minutes" (PDF). Auckland District Health Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  7. Department of Corrections. "Pacific leaders play part in rehabilitation" (PDF). Corr Volunteer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  8. Department of Corrections. "Pasifika history and culture an important part of rehabilitation". 2010 Media Releases. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  9. Lole-Taylor, Asenati. "Asenati Lole-Taylor running for local government". Newsroom 23–29 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  10. New Zealand First Endorses Pacific Leader scoop.co.nz, 10 August 2011
  11. "New Zealand First List 2014" (Press release). New Zealand First. Scoop. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  12. "Marriage equality bill: How MPs voted". The New Zealand Herald. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  13. "MP's husband under investigation".
  14. "Former MP Asenati Lole-Taylor Broke Rules by Accessing Records". Stuff.co.nz. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  15. "Former NZ First MP leaves country during police probe". 2 May 2015.
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