Priyanca Radhakrishnan becomes first Indian-origin minister on Kiwi land

Priyanca Radhakrishnan on November 2 became New Zealand's first-ever Indian-origin Minister after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled what she called an “incredibly diverse” cabinet. Radhakrishnan has been appointed as the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion, and Ethnic Communities. In addition to this, she has become the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, PTI reported.

The 41-year-old lawmaker was born in India but moved to Singapore for studies and later migrated to New Zealand for further education. It was there, that she started advocating for victims of domestic violence, migrants and those downtrodden. In September 2017, she first got elected as a Member of Parliament belonging to the Labour Party. Later, In 2019, she was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities.

Ardern unveils diverse cabinet

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on November 1 unveiled an “incredibly diverse” cabinet as she appointed the first-ever indigenous lady that wore “Moko Kauae” art as her foreign minister and 20 other “diverse members”. As Ardern promised citizens to prioritise economic recovery for New Zealand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, she sought to work with a more inclusive cabinet as she named Grant Robertson as NZ deputy prime minister, the first gay man to hold the role. 

Read: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern's New Cabinet Includes A Himachal-origin Parliamentarian

Read: Jacinda Arden Unveils 'incredibly Diverse' New Zealand Cabinet Based On 'merit And Talent'

According to New Zealand’s multi-platform news service Newshub, Ardern has appointed a ministerial lineup of several MPs for the first time in the parliament. New Zealand’s leader appointed a Christchurch local and member of Labour Party as Minister of Energy and Resources, and housing and a former teacher Kelvin Geoffrey Davis as Minister for Education and Children. Jacinda Ardern formed the first single-party government since 1996 with an absolute majority of seats under the country’s MMP system due to her landslide election victory. Meanwhile, she told reporters in Wellington that the next three years will be very challenging for her government, sources of Newshub confirmed. She accredited these challenges for New Zealand to the global outlook worsening and the ongoing effect of COVID-19. 

Read: Jacinda Arden Unveils 'incredibly Diverse' New Zealand Cabinet Based On 'merit And Talent'

Read: 'Grateful': Jacinda Ardern Posts Victory Selfie On Winning Second Term As New Zealand PM

(With inputs from PTI) Image:  Controversyy3/Twitter