Priyanca Radhakrishnan

Some Lesser-Known Facts About Priyanca Radhakrishnan

• Priyanca Radhakrishnan is a Kerela-based New Zealand politician, and a member of parliament in New Zealand. She created history in November 2020 by becoming the first-ever Indian-origin minister in New Zealand.

• Priyanca Radhakrishnan was born in Chennai. She shifted to Singapore with her family in her childhood, where she completed her formal studies. After doing her graduation from Singapore, Priyanka worked there in the corporate sector for a year before moving to New Zealand in 2004 to do a master’s in Development Studies.

• While studying at Victoria University of Wellington, Priyanca successfully contested and won the post of the International Students’ Officer of the Massey University Student Association.

• Priyanka had planned to return to India once she had completed her post-graduation, however, she opted to stay after some political leaders of New Zealand encouraged her to enter politics.

• Priyanka ventured into politics by joining the Labour Party of New Zealand in 2006. Since then, she has been contributing to the party in different areas, from working on internal policy-making to campaigning for the party ahead of elections. This is how Priyanca describes herself on the New Zealand Labour Party’s official website.
  

  I strongly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to live with dignity—that means having equitable access to safe and affordable housing, quality education and healthcare and decent, secure work.”

  

• Initially, Priyanca’s father was a little hesitant to let her daughter enter politics, however, she managed to convince him by explaining about the nature of politics in New Zealand.

• Priyanca is no stranger to politics. Her maternal great-grandfather, Dr. C R Krishna Pillai, was also a famous left party political leader in Kerela.

• Along with politics, Priyanka has also been working with several social organisations. She has long been associated with an NGO working towards protecting the rights of domestic violence survivors and migrants in New Zealand. She also met her husband, Ivan Richardson, while working for the same NGO.

• Priyanca Radhakrishnan is also a member of the Asia-New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, National Council of Women of New Zealand (Auckland), and UN Women.

• In 2014, Priyanca was ranked 23rd on the New Zealand Labour Party’s list; however, she did not compete for the elections owing to fall in Labour Party’s votes in that year.

• Ahead of the 2017 New Zealand General Election, Priyanca was selected by the Labour Party to fight on Maungakiekie parliamentary electorate. She failed to win the election; however, she still made her maiden entry to the New Zealand Parliament based on the votes received by the labour party.

• Priyanka has twice been the member of parliament from Auckland, both the times she has been nominated to the parliament based on the labour party votes.

• In November 2020, Priyanca Radhakrishnan was appointed as the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, Minister for Youth, and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment in the cabinet of New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden.