Elliot Ikilei grew up angry.
Elliot Ikilei remembers his teens and twenties as drug and alcohol-infused. Things got worse before they got better as he was sent off to Australia. He returned home more damaged than ever.
Now in his 40s, the youth worker uses his life experiences of being part of the dark underbelly to reach out and help vulnerable, young adults that hit rock-bottom.
Having lived a deprived life till he met someone who dramatically changed it, Ikilei believes he can be a change-maker by leaping into the political arena.
It’s the reason why the deputy leader of the New Conservatives is contesting the upcoming election in the newly established Takanini electorate that includes areas of Mission Heights and Ormiston.
“For the first part of my life, I was part of the problem,” says Ikilei.
He has received the Police Commander’s Commission for Bravery & Heroism after he pulled three people out of a car minutes before it was smashed by a truck.
“For the remainder of my life I will be a servant to my community-to fix, solve or salve the struggles that will come and celebrate the victories that we will gain,” he says.
Having worked at grassroots level with families in Botany South and Flat Bush for 10 years, he strongly blames “the socialist government policies” for the systemic decay and breakup of families.
“Subsidised single parenting is the root of problems. Handouts to a young generation who feel they are entitled creates emptiness as people lose meaning for life. The growing nihilism is due to the Labour Party using welfare benefits to buy votes,” says Ikilei.
“I have been there and know that we are not winning with kids. We are losing our kids to suicide, drugs and prison.”
Ikilei works with young people in areas of self-harm, suicidal ideation, sexual abuse, family violence as well as leadership facilitation, resilience and self-confidence.
“This will be one of the most important elections in New Zealand history for a very long time,” he says.
“I’d like to know where is all this money that we are borrowing coming from? This brutal and cruel government has broken our economic backbone. Young people have lost jobs.”
The father of two young kids Jeslyn and Eli, he is married to Eona, a Singaporean and is often referred to as “the fair-faced islander who speaks educated” by the youth in South Auckland.
He says his turning point was at the age of 25 when he met a pastor who was an ex-gang member.
“He allowed me to get past my shallow thoughts on Christianity. I then realised Christians are not just white people with halos around their heads,” he laughs.
He says that the New Conservatives have become unofficially known as the party of the front-liners, likely due to the vast majority of leadership and candidates who have been working in social services, prisons, trades and small businesses.
“We have fought to staunchly protect parental rights, private property rights, free speech and protecting New Zealand’s most vulnerable in speaking out against abortion, euthanasia and cannabis,” he says.
