Green Party Member of Parliament, Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, has passed away unexpectedly during a charity event in Auckland.
Collins was participating in the ChildFund charity run in the heart of the city, near Britomart, aiming to support communities in the Pacific when he suddenly collapsed.
Efeso Collins was a dedicated family man, survived by his wife and two daughters. He grew up in Ōtara, south Auckland, a community he deeply cared about, with his roots tracing back to Samoa through his parents.
Before stepping into national politics, Collins served three terms with the Auckland Council, where he led the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board and represented the Manukau ward. His commitment to public service was evident in his 2022 Auckland mayoral campaign, although he was not successful.
Recently, Collins made a significant political shift from the Labour Party to the Greens, where he secured a parliamentary seat, expressing his joy and humility upon his election. Known for his passionate advocacy for the underprivileged, Collins’s sudden death has shocked the community and political arena alike.
The Green Party co-leaders have expressed their profound shock and prioritized support for Collins’s grieving family. Despite immediate medical intervention during the charity event, Collins could not be revived. His life, dedicated to service and making a positive impact on others, including his constituents, colleagues, friends, and family, garnered him respect across various communities and political spectrums.
From Labour Party’s heartfelt statement to Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’s and fellow mayoral candidate Leo Malloy’s personal reflections, the sense of loss transcends political lines, highlighting Collins’s remarkable character and contributions.
