Meng Foon
| Mayor Meng Liu Foon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gisborne Mayor in Traditional Mayoral Dress | |
| In office October 2001[1] – Present[2] | |
| Preceded by | John Clarke |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | New Zealand citizen of Chinese descent |
Meng Liu Foon is the current mayor of Gisborne, New Zealand. He is one of a handful of people of Chinese descent to have become a mayor in New Zealand. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Māori.
Mayor Foon won a fifth term as Gisborne's mayor in 2013. He is the first person to serve five consecutive terms since Harry Barker retired in 1977.[3] Meng Foon's mayoralty extends across New Zealand's eastern most province with the largest proportion of Native Maori population (according to the New Zealand census of 2005).
Meng Foon has several interests outside of his mayoralty. He has released a musical number, Tu Mai, which includes various native tracks, he has been chair of Gisborne/Tarawhiti Rugby League since 2007 and is a board member of the New Zealand Rugby League board.[4][5]
Following confirmation of the Ngati Porou deal, arranged under the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, Meng Foon was quoted as saying that "he did not believe many people would be disadvantaged by reduced access to the beach, as 90 per cent of the East Coast population was Maori anyway."[6]
See also
- Peter Chin, Mayor of Dunedin
References
- ↑ "Mayor Meng Foon". Retrieved 5 August 2009.
- ↑ "Gisborne District Council". Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ↑ Gillingham, Marianne (October 11, 2010). "Meng Mayor again". Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ↑ Gisborne Herald, Blog. "Mayor Meng Foons song Tu Mai". Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ↑ The Board New Zealand Rugby League
- ↑ David Fisher and Cliff Taylor (18 January 2009). "Maori deal will 'close access to public beaches'". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 October 2011.