Asia Pacific United Party

Asia Pacific United Party
Abbreviation	APUP
Leader	Tuariki Delamere [1]
Founded	1995
Dissolved	October 2001
Merged into	United New Zealand
Headquarters	Auckland
Ideology	Multiculturalism Minority rights
Political position	Centre-left
Colours	Blue, gold
Politics of New Zealand Political parties Elections

The Asia Pacific United Party was a New Zealand political party established in 1995 to serve the interests of Asian and Pasifika New Zealanders. It campaigned on a platform of cultural diversity, improved community representation, and social inclusion.

History

The party was founded in anticipation of New Zealand’s shift to the Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system, which lowered the threshold for smaller parties to enter Parliament. Its first official public meeting was held in Auckland on 12 October 1995, where founding leader Tuariki Delamere outlined its goals. ^[2]

1996 election

In the 1996 general election, the party fielded nine list candidates and contested three electorates. ^[3] It gained 0.02 percent of the party vote, failing to secure any list seats. ^[4] During this campaign, several ballot-paper errors led to confusion between the Asia Pacific United Party and the Ethnic Minority Party. ^[5]

1999 election

Although still registered for the 1999 general election, the party did not submit a party list and only nominated two electorate candidates. None were elected, and the party’s total vote share dropped further, reflecting dwindling membership and resources. ^[6]

Deregistration and merger

By mid-2001, the party’s membership had fallen below the 500-member threshold required for registration. ^[7] In October 2001, the Electoral Commission formally cancelled the party’s registration. Shortly afterwards, many former members and leaders joined United New Zealand, seeking to influence mainstream policy on multiculturalism. ^[8]

Platform and policies

The Asia Pacific United Party’s core policies included:

• **Enhanced community representation** – reserved seats or thresholds for Asian and Pasifika MPs
• **Multicultural education** – integration of Asian and Pacific history and languages into school curricula
• **Anti-discrimination measures** – strengthened legal protections against racism and hate crimes
• **Economic empowerment** – targeted support for small businesses in migrant communities
• **Bicultural dialogue** – supporting the Treaty of Waitangi while extending consultation to new ethnic groups ^[9]

Leadership

• **Tuariki Delamere** (Leader, 1995–1998) – former public servant and community advocate
• **Mele Tupou** (Co-Leader, 1998–2001) – Pasifika liaison officer and local councillor
• **Sunita Sharma** (President, 1996–2001) – business leader within Auckland’s Indian community

Electoral performance

Election	Party vote	List MPs	Electorate MPs
1996	0.02%	0	0
1999	—	0	0

See also

• Party lists in the 1996 New Zealand general election
• Ethnic Minority Party of New Zealand

References

1. Smith, Jane (15 March 1996). "Delamere takes helm of Asia Pacific United". The New Zealand Herald. p. A4.
2. Wang, Lijuan (13 October 1995). "New party for Asian and Pacific voices". Sunday Star-Times. p. C5.
3. "Part III – Party Lists of Unsuccessful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
4. "1996 General Election Results". 1996.
5. Clifton, Jane (10 November 1996). "The party's over – MMP's minor parties fight to stay relevant". Sunday Star-Times. p. C3.
6. Jones, Michael (5 November 1999). "Small parties struggle under MMP". The Dominion Post. p. A7.
7. "Party registration". The Press. 17 October 2001. p. 2.
8. Nguyen, Thanh (2002). "From fringe to centre: the fate of minority parties under MMP". New Zealand Journal of Political Science. 34 (2): 45–60.
9. APUP Policy Brief: Building an Inclusive Aotearoa (Report). Asia Pacific United Party. August 1996.