Dr George Ngaei has been involved in improving Māori and Pacific health as a practicing general surgeon (Endoscopic and Gastrointestinal) in Invercargill, as well as providing his expertise to work and consult on a wide range of medical issues for those living in the Cook Islands.

 He has been Chair of the South Island Pacific Providers Collective since 2014 and is a committee member of the Auckland-based Cook Islands Health Network Association. 

In 2002 he established a Pacific Island Specialist Nursing Service in collaboration with the Pacific Island Advisory and Cultural Trust (PIACT) and has been Chairman of PIACT since 2007. 

He was a representative for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) on the Southland Medical Foundation from the 1990s until 2018. Mr Ngaei was previously elected to the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australian College of S and is a member of the Board of the Auckland-based Cook Islands Development Agency New Zealand.

Congratulations Dr Ngaei for being made a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit for your services to health and the Pacific community.

It’s our pleasure to welcome to the Pacific Breakfast Show Rhonda Moala, the newest addition to our PMN News Team. Rhonda is a well known & respected journalist from Tonga and is a former employee for Tonga Broadcasting Commission (A3Z), having worked there a number of years. Rhonda migrated to NZ in 2010. She’s been raising her family over the last decade & is now back working where her passion lies - media & journalism. Rhonda joins us now for more on her career & life.

David Letele Senior shares his story as a first generation NZ born Pacific Islander, ending up in a gang and the long transformative journey to finding his purpose in life to serve the community.

Taito Eddie Tuiavii is the Voter Participation engagement lead at Auckland Council. Prior to working for council, he served as a Public Affairs Coordinator for the U.S. Embassy, focusing on U.S. - NZ relations across Zealand and throughout the Pacific, particularly among youth and emerging leaders. 

With a wide-ranging background in public policy, education, and politics, Eddie is a University of Auckland alumnus and also manages the First Foundation's alumni programme.

Eddie is among a number of Pasifika community leaders calling for calm after a teenager was stabbed outside De La Salle College.

It was reported that students from De La Salle College in South Auckland were set upon on Friday afternoon by what is understood to be teenagers connected to two other Auckland secondary schools.

On Monday evening a symbolic moment brought leaders from De La Salle College and Kelston Boys College together.  One of those leaders was Eddie Tuavi’i who was a former Kelston Boys head boy.

We’re joined now by Dr Stephen Hoadley, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Arts for our weekly update on global politics.

AOTEAROA'S LEADING CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC ARTS TRUST Tautai will reopen its doors to a beautiful expanded space of over 500 square metres, which will be officially opened by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday 3rd July. 

The inaugural event will include a host of prestigious supporters and speakers, founding patron Fatu Feu’u and UoA young alumna of the year, Tautai director Courtney Sina Meredith. 

Located in Auckland – Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust is a charitable trust dedicated to championing Pacific arts and artists. Tautai was formed in the 1980s when leading Samoan artist Fatu Feu’u and his peers came together with a shared aspiration to support and promote Pacific visual artists. In the years since, it has grown to become Aotearoa’s premiere Pacific arts organisation with a multidisciplinary focus.

Sala McCarthy-Stonex has recently graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree (JD) and a Masters of Public Affairs (MPA), all before turning 23.

Sala began her bachelor's degree at the age of 17, in which she completed in two years.

She received her JD doctorate degree and masters degree from BYU Law School (Utah, USA) in early May, which usually takes 5 years. Sala completed it in 4. 

With regards to Salas achievements, the BYU Dean of Communications for the J.Reuben Clark Law School, Lynnett Rands stated - A JD is the highest law degree in the United States. In rare cases, students may complete their undergraduate degree in less than four years. The JD program at BYU Law is a minimum of three years after an undergraduate program, with an additional year for a joint degree. The recognition that Sala has received for this achievement is well deserved."

The inspirational Sala McCarthy Stonex joins us now on Pacific Breakfast for more on her incredible journey.

Dr Tukuitonga is a Pasifika health expert who joins us on the line this morning to talk about what we as a Pasifika community can do to avoid contracting COVID-19.

New Zealand has nine positive cases of COVID-19 as of yesterday.  For more than 20 days the country was celebrating having zero cases but with the borders re-opening to allow New Zealand citizens to return home.  These new cases are from those who are coming from countries with active cases but the concern is that if borders are not monitored properly there is a risk of spreading this further.

Pulemele’i Mound is the largest ancient structure in Polynesia that rises 12 metres high on the island of Savaii considered by some to be the cradle of civilization in Polynesia.  

It sits on freehold land that Nelsons Properties have been trying to sell which against the wishes local villages and historians.

Samoan Historian Meleisea Leasiolagi Dr Mala Meleisea is currently Director of Samoan Studies at the National University of Samoa, was the founding director of Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies at Canterbury University and director at Centre for Pacific Studies at Auckland University, New Zealand.

Meleisea Leasiolagi Dr Malama Meleisea  talks about this ongoing dispute and the announcement that the site will no longer be sold.

REDICAN, Mrs Aseta

For services to health and Pacific peoples

Mrs Aseta Redican’s career and community service has focused on improving health and wellbeing outcomes for Pacific communities.

Mrs Redican is a founding member of PACIFICA and the National Council of Samoan Women in New Zealand. She established the Pacific Island Church Groups’ Information Project, an innovative initiative fostering stronger connections between Pacific communities and the health sector. Her extensive experience includes being the first General Manager of Pacific Health for the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) from 2001 until her retirement in 2009. In this role she established a Pacific Health Advisory Committee to the ADHB, two Pacific-led Primary Health Organisations, the Parish Nursing Pilot, and the Healthy Village Action Zones Pacific Community Development Initiative that still operates today.

She was the first Pacific person to become a New Zealand-qualified physiotherapist. In 1991, she led the establishment of the new Pacific Island Heartbeat programme, under the National Heart Foundation. In this role, she worked within Pacific communities to encourage and support healthy lifestyles.

Following her retirement, Mrs Redican spent years as a Board member of the Fred Hollows Foundation, Spectrum Care Trust and a Director of the National Heart Foundation.