Tongan future leaders

Tongan future leaders and public figures embrace their culture

MP Jenny Salesa, who was the first Tongan-born woman to enter the New Zealand Parliament, said as Tongan was her first language it has helped her serve the community effectively.

"You know I see quite a lot of people that come and see me because I am the only Tongan speaking MP.

"They come from all sorts of areas in Auckland, but I also get phone calls from right across Aotearoa because of the language issue.

"So many of our people don't speak very good English," she said.