Su'a William Sio

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The New Zealand politician Su'a William Sio became a Member of Parliament on 1 April 2008^[1]. He has served as a member of the Manukau City Council, representing the Otara ward since 2001. A Samoan, Sio holds the Matai (Chieftain title) of Su'a from the village of Matatufu, of the district called Lotofaga on the island of Upolu. He belongs to the extended family called Aiga Sa Aupito headed by the High Chief Aupito, a Matai title currently held by Sio's father.

Sir Barry Curtis, the Mayor of Manukau City, selected Sio as Chair of the Council Plan Committee in November 2004. In October 2007, the newly-elected Mayor of Manukau City, Len Brown, appointed Sio to the office of Deputy Mayor, making him the first Pasefika person to hold this position in Manukau City. In an interview^{[citation needed]} with a local newspaper, Sio said: "I am honoured at the opportunity to serve in this capacity".

New Zealand Labour Party list MP Dianne Yates left the New Zealand Parliament on March 29 2008^[2], and Sio, who ranked 47th on the Labour Party list in the 2005 parliamentary elections, became a member of Parliament on April 1 2008 as the next person on Labour's list^[3] ^[4] . (The person above him on the list, Louisa Wall, had already replaced Ann Hartley.)

Sio will stand as the Labour Party candidate for Mangere in the 2008 general election against independent (and former Labour Party MP) Taito Philip Field^[5].